Your Opinion on Impeachment

 

I’d like to gauge the extent of support for, or opposition to, impeachment among the Ricochetti.  Here’s what I ask you to do: I’m going to set forth two questions, and if you’re interested in participating, I ask that you answer them in the comments.  This will work better if you refrain from commenting or arguing, and simply state your answers.

The two questions are:

  1. At this moment, do you support or oppose the impeachment and conviction of President Trump?  I recommend that you answer either “support impeachment and conviction,” “oppose impeachment and conviction,” or “undecided.”
  2. Have you changed your mind on the question of impeachment and removal?  I recommend that you answer either “I have changed my mind as events unfolded” or “I have not changed my mind as events unfolded.”  The purpose of this question is to gauge whether additional consideration, during the past 8 days or so, has altered any initial opinion that you may have formed.

I should add that, by answering question 1, I do not think that you should be bound to that answer in the future.  You may learn additional facts, or you may be persuaded by additional arguments, in either direction.

Prior to this recommended poll, I have two data points about the level of support for impeachment and conviction among folks on the political right:

  • Among the Ricochetti, the data suggest that we are close to 50-50.  Jon Gabriel posted (here) on January 6, stating that the President should be impeached, convicted, and removed, and that post currently has 47 likes.  I posted (here) on January 8, strongly criticizing the call for impeachment, and that post currently has 50 likes.
  • Among Republican Congressmen, 200 opposed impeachment, 10 voted for impeachment (with 1 absent and not yet determined).

My answers:  I oppose impeachment and conviction.  I have not changed my mind as events unfolded.

Published in Politics
This post was promoted to the Main Feed by a Ricochet Editor at the recommendation of Ricochet members. Like this post? Want to comment? Join Ricochet’s community of conservatives and be part of the conversation. Join Ricochet for Free.

There are 261 comments.

Become a member to join the conversation. Or sign in if you're already a member.
  1. Skyler Coolidge
    Skyler
    @Skyler

    Gromrus (View Comment):
    Gromrus

    I want him convicted so that he is barred from the possibility of future election, to allow what is left of the Republican party to move on.

    It doesn’t work that way.  He can be barred from being appointed to a position, but impeachment and conviction does not limit whom the people can elect into office.  That’s a very important difference, and was intentional.  The people can elect whomever they want to any office, except that the President has to be a natural citizen over the age of 35.  We don’t work for Congress, they work for us, they can’t tell us whom we elect to office.

    • #151
  2. Jager Coolidge
    Jager
    @Jager

    I oppose 

    I have not changed my mind

    • #152
  3. Dominique Prynne Member
    Dominique Prynne
    @DominiquePrynne

    I oppose impeachment and conviction. I have not changed my mind as events unfolded.

    The impeached circus is a monumental farce and waste of political capital and energy – just like it was in January 2020 when the nation was focused on impeachment while Chinese COVID-19 was disseminating throughout the world.  As a country, we have much bigger matters to pay attention to than squashing Trump into oblivion.  Suck it up and MOVE ON!  I think everyone is a little nuts to allow Trump take up so much space in their heads – pro or con.

    • #153
  4. Skyler Coolidge
    Skyler
    @Skyler

    Dominique Prynne (View Comment):
    Suck it up and MOVE ON! I think everyone is a little nuts to allow Trump take up so much space in their heads – pro or con.

    Never.  We can never forgive the perfidy to our nation and its ballot procedures, and the unwillingness to even investigate the very serious and substantial allegations.  If there were nothing to those allegations, they would have dealt with it.  Since they refused to, that shows that they didn’t want their sins exposed, neither the democrats nor the GOPe.

    • #154
  5. Postmodern Hoplite Coolidge
    Postmodern Hoplite
    @PostmodernHoplite
    1. I do not favor impeachment.
    2. I have changed my mind.

    (I’d like to discuss these, but I appreciate that @arizonapatriot requested not to in this thread.)

    • #155
  6. Acook Coolidge
    Acook
    @Acook

    Oppose

    No

    • #156
  7. Headedwest Coolidge
    Headedwest
    @Headedwest
    1. I oppose impeachment and conviction.
    2. I have not changed my mind as events unfolded.
    • #157
  8. Postmodern Hoplite Coolidge
    Postmodern Hoplite
    @PostmodernHoplite

    EDISONPARKS (View Comment):

    Do you sincerely believe the Congress’s time and resources are well spent impeaching a President who will be out of the office in 5 days, 2 and a half business days to be exact?

    Still reminds me of the Monty Python Twit of the Year Contest event of shooting the dead rabbit tied down:

    Comparing Congress to the “Upper Class Twit of the Year” Contest is awfully insulting…to the Upper Class Twits.

    • #158
  9. RPD Inactive
    RPD
    @RPD

    Oppose

    No

    • #159
  10. Bob W Member
    Bob W
    @BobW

    I oppose impeachment and conviction.

    I have not changed my mind as events unfolded.

    • #160
  11. Thomas Shetler Coolidge
    Thomas Shetler
    @ThomasShetler

    I oppose impeachment and conviction.

    I have change my mind as events unfolded, and I recognized this was deeply partisan stunt meant to destroy Donald Trump and more importantly fracture the Republican party and give the Democrats control of the government for a generation.

    • #161
  12. Dominique Prynne Member
    Dominique Prynne
    @DominiquePrynne

    Skyler (View Comment):
    Never. We can never forgive the perfidy to our nation and its ballot procedures, and the unwillingness to even investigate the very serious and substantial allegations. If there were nothing to those allegations, they would have dealt with it. Since they refused to, that shows that they didn’t want their sins exposed, neither the democrats nor the GOPe.

    I agree with you.  But a reckoning on the election fraud committed in this election is NOT going to happen!  While we are crying in our Wheaties about it and otherwise occupied, the fascists are moving on to something else. I’m a realist.  We need to have energy and social capital for the next battle – which in part may be shoring up election systems to avoid this in the future, but election 2020 is a done deal. 

    • #162
  13. Instugator Thatcher
    Instugator
    @Instugator

    I oppose impeachment and conviction. I have not changed my mind as events unfolded.

    • #163
  14. CharlesProvince Inactive
    CharlesProvince
    @CharlesProvince
    1. Standing firm on Opposing impeachment and NO conviction!
    2. I will never, ever change my mind!
    • #164
  15. Instugator Thatcher
    Instugator
    @Instugator

    The (apathetic) King Prawn (View Comment):
    Had Obama and his minions done all the things Trump did when Hillary lost we would rightly be calling for his immediate ouster. Goose/gander, etc.

    Obama outdid Nixon.

    • #165
  16. LC Member
    LC
    @LidensCheng

    Oppose 

    No

     

    • #166
  17. Jerry Giordano (Arizona Patrio… Member
    Jerry Giordano (Arizona Patrio…
    @ArizonaPatriot

    Updated counts through #165.

    • 86% (96 of 112) oppose impeachment and conviction
    • 12% (11 of 112) support impeachment and conviction

    There is 1 undecided, and 2 who supported impeachment but not conviction.

    • 5% (6 of 112) have changed their mind
    • Of these 6, 5 changed to oppose and 1 changed to support
    • Note that I did not include any changes from “undecided” as a change.  I would include a change to “undecided” as a change, but there have been none.

    Notes for possible clarification:

    • Fake John/Jane Galt #15:  I did not count this comment, which I found ambiguous.  It stated support for impeachment, but then stated that Biden should be removed.
    • GlennAmurgis #126:  I did not count this comment, which I found unclear.  It stated that the President deserves to go, but did not expressly opine about impeachment and conviction.
    • Quintus Sertorius #141:  I did not count this comment.  It stated support for impeachment and removal, but not for the “[i]nsurrection.”  It also stated a change of mind “in regards to what the impeachment charges should be.”  I think that this should probably be counted as a “support” vote, but I don’t want to speculate.

    If any (or all) of the three Ricochetti listed above wish to clarify, I will include your votes in the next update.

    • #167
  18. The Reticulator Member
    The Reticulator
    @TheReticulator

    Misthiocracy got drunk and (View Comment):
    Misthiocracy got drunk and Ricochet Charter Member

    a) I think all presidents should work with the threat of impeachment always hanging just above their heads. As such, I have less of a problem with the impeachment(s) of Donald Trump than I do with the non-impeachments of many previous presidents.

    b) Nobody should support or oppose any conviction until a trial is actually held, evidence produced, and witnesses cross-examined. Innocent until proven guilty, and all that.

    What he said, except that I would add future presidents to the statement about previous presidents. 

    • #168
  19. Goldgeller Member
    Goldgeller
    @Goldgeller

    I oppose impeachment and conviction.

    I have not changed my mind as events unfolded.

    • #169
  20. Hugh Inactive
    Hugh
    @Hugh

    Have you counted the mail-in ballots yet?

    • #170
  21. EDISONPARKS Member
    EDISONPARKS
    @user_54742

    Hugh (View Comment):

    Have you counted the mail-in ballots yet?

    You will have to wait until the polls are closed and the “no to impeachment” poll watchers are sent home.

    • #171
  22. Tennessee Patriot Member
    Tennessee Patriot
    @TennesseePatriot
    1.  I oppose conviction
    2.  I have changed my mind. Mostly based on argument by John Yoo and Rich Lowry
    • #172
  23. TBA Coolidge
    TBA
    @RobtGilsdorf

    I oppose impeachment and conviction.

    I continue to do so and it would take a lot to change my mind in this case.

    • #173
  24. thelonious Member
    thelonious
    @thelonious

    I’ve tabulated on my own 889 votes for impeachment. I don’t have a paper trail and don’t know who these people are, but trust me they’re there.  Impeachment for the win!!!

    • #174
  25. EDISONPARKS Member
    EDISONPARKS
    @user_54742

    thelonious (View Comment):

    I’ve tabulated on my own 889 votes for impeachment. I don’t have a paper trail and don’t know who these people are, but trust me they’re there. Impeachment for the win!!!

    Separate the mail-in ballot envelopes from the enclosed ballots  and shred the envelopes immediately.

    • #175
  26. thelonious Member
    thelonious
    @thelonious

    EDISONPARKS (View Comment):

    thelonious (View Comment):

    I’ve tabulated on my own 889 votes for impeachment. I don’t have a paper trail and don’t know who these people are, but trust me they’re there. Impeachment for the win!!!

    Separate the mail-in ballot envelopes from the enclosed ballots and shred the envelopes immediately.

    Will do.

    • #176
  27. Randy Webster Inactive
    Randy Webster
    @RandyWebster

    Gromrus (View Comment):

    I want him convicted so that he is barred from the possibility of future election, to allow what is left of the Republican party to move on.

     

    He’s not a threat to be elected to anything.  The worst he could be is a spoiler.

    • #177
  28. Jerry Giordano (Arizona Patrio… Member
    Jerry Giordano (Arizona Patrio…
    @ArizonaPatriot

    Tennessee Patriot (View Comment):

    1. I oppose conviction
    2. I have changed my mind. Mostly based on argument by John Yoo and Rich Lowry

    Could you clarify about whether you also oppose impeachment (now)?  My impression is that you supported impeachment all along, previously supported conviction, but now oppose conviction.  I’ll hold off on counting your vote for now (but want to, whatever it is, so please respond if you are able).

    • #178
  29. Bishop Wash Member
    Bishop Wash
    @BishopWash

    thelonious (View Comment):

    EDISONPARKS (View Comment):

    thelonious (View Comment):

    I’ve tabulated on my own 889 votes for impeachment. I don’t have a paper trail and don’t know who these people are, but trust me they’re there. Impeachment for the win!!!

    Separate the mail-in ballot envelopes from the enclosed ballots and shred the envelopes immediately.

    Will do.

    And cause a water leak in Jerry’s house.

    • #179
  30. lowtech redneck Coolidge
    lowtech redneck
    @lowtech redneck

    Randy Webster (View Comment):

    Gromrus (View Comment):

    I want him convicted so that he is barred from the possibility of future election, to allow what is left of the Republican party to move on.

     

    He’s not a threat to be elected to anything. The worst he could be is a spoiler.

    He currently has a large plurality of Republicans in favor of him running in 2024; I think impeaching him (and falsely accusing those morons in DC of ‘insurrection’) is a pretty despicable thing to do on that basis, but he could definitely win the primary election (and its not even outside the realm of possibility of him winning the Presidential election if Biden/Harris screw up enough, but I would agree its highly unlikely at this point).  Of course, destroying the Republican party in order to save it seems like a questionably effective tactic in itself.

    • #180
Become a member to join the conversation. Or sign in if you're already a member.