Sign of the times? Impeachment Eve protests, Trump's approval rating rises

The anti-Trump protests sure aren’t what they used to be. On the eve of the vote to impeach President Trump in the House of Representatives, MoveOn.org and Common Cause put the call out for protesters to rally in favor of it. Rallies popped up in cities around the country.

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Media reports claim thousands of protesters showed up. In Times Square, for example, reports of hundreds of demonstrators filled the area, stopping traffic – the rallies were scheduled for 5:30 p.m. local time so it was during evening rush hour. Nothing like inconveniencing ordinary working people as they try to get home at the end of the day to win over those not living in the anti-Trump bubble, amirite?

Demonstrators in Times Square lined up to stretch a sign for those above them to read. It quoted Article II Section 4 of the Constitution:
“The president, vice president and all civil officers of the United States, shall be removed from office on impeachment for, and conviction of, treason, bribery, or other high crimes and misdemeanors.”

In Saint Paul, Minnesota, a crowd gathered to carol but changed the words to the familiar “We wish you a merry Christmas.”
“We wish you would leave the White House, some time by New Year,” they sang together.

Protesters stood on a corner in Doral, Florida, holding signs for those driving by, including one that read “Remove Trump!” with the pictures of an elephant and donkey — the symbols of the Republican and Democratic party, respectively — on either side.

That video clip highlights part of the problem for Democrats and others longing for impeachment, perhaps unintentionally. The man complaining about Republican senators who have already made up their minds to vote against impeachment points to the biggest problem of this exercise. President Trump is going to be impeached on a party-line vote, most likely, in the House. He can’t point a finger at Republicans without doing the same to Democrats. He obviously supports the Democrats’ position, though, and doesn’t see the irony in his statement. Senator Marco Rubio tweeted out the absurdity of the partisan argument. No one involved is non-partisan.

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The demand for a trial in the Senate that follows a standard procedure in legal trials is also misplaced. Impeachment is a political action, not a legal one. The lady who complains that the process has taken so long is voicing the exact opposite opinion than those who complain that the process has been rushed.

The counter-protester voices the opinion of the other half of America. She says just wait until 2020. She is a good example of the unifying force the impeachment process has had on Trump supporters and Independent voters who see it for what it is – a power grab. The Democrats have so botched this attempt to unseat President Trump that now, according to Gallup, Trump’s approval rating is higher than when Impeachmentpalooza began. The poll was taken from Dec. 2-15. Independent voters have moved away from wanting Trump impeached and removed from office.

Approval of the president’s performance remains high among Republicans (89%) and low among Democrats (8%). Less than half of political independents approve, but the current 42% is up from 34% at the start of the impeachment hearings and matches their highest rating of Trump so far.

Trump’s latest job rating is on the high end of the relatively tight range of 35% to 46% approval he has received since taking office, and marks the fifth time he has reached 45% or higher during his presidency. His approval stretched to 46% only once, in May of this year, when a flurry of positive economic news coincided with the issuing of Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s report.

The movement in the national figure mostly reflects a small shift among political independents, a slight majority of whom supported impeachment and removal in two October polls (55% and 53%), but whose support has fallen below the 50% mark in the two polls since (45% in November and 48% in the latest poll).

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Good job, Democrats!

What strikes me is the decrease in the number of protesters showing up for these rallies. Remember the early days of the Trump administration, beginning the day after his inauguration, when the protests brought out thousands, sometimes millions of protesters in a day around the country? The far left has been quite successful in organizing the folks who simply cannot accept the results of the 2016 election. They just don’t like Trump and besides, it was Hillary Clinton’s turn to be president. Now, though, the numbers continue to shrink and formal organizing efforts are needed to keep the angry mobs together.

The usual suspects were at the microphone at a rally in Los Angeles.

In downtown Los Angeles, several hundred people gathered in Grand Park outside City Hall. The building, one of the tallest in the city, was bathed in red, white and green lights, along with the words “Impeach the Predatory President.”

Actor, director and activist Rob Reiner told the crowd it’s time for Trump to go.

“We will make sure that not only is he impeached, but he will be removed from office,” Reiner said.

Before Reiner took to the podium, actress and frequent Trump critic Alyssa Milano led protesters in chants of “I believe that we will win!” and “Show me what democracy looks like.”

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I would say to Ms. Milano that “what democracy looks like” is our free and fair elections. She just didn’t like the result of the 2016 election. And to Mr. Reiner I say, if Trump is “removed” from office, it will be by the ballot box in 2020, not by angry mobs in the streets. See you in 2020, Meathead.

Move On – one of the groups organizing these protests – was formed during the days of the Clinton impeachment. Now that a Republican is in office, they are happy to drag out the civil unrest and divisiveness of impeachment. Democrats have failed to make their case, even though they continue to move the goalposts. They polled words to use and still can’t get it right. Democrats have only further divided the country and shrinking numbers of protesters is a good indication of their loss of support.

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David Strom 3:20 PM | November 15, 2024
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