Forget Impeachment Democrats

Sit down please. Let's have some real talk, fellow Democrats.

Let's chat about impeachment. I'm going to tell how this plays out if you turn down Impeachment Avenue.

The process in the House will take time. Hearings, drawing up the Articles of Impeachment, etc. I'm sure this process will take us into early 2020. Let's say the House votes along party lines and Donald Trump is impeached. He leaves office and Mike Pence takes over, right?

WRONG.

Even if Donald Trump is impeached by a wide majority in the House, the proceedings move to the Senate. There, the circus continues. After let's say a month of trial, debate, histrionics and other fun presided over by Chief Justice John Roberts, the Senate votes.

Let's say the trial compels two of 53 Republicans to join the Democrats in voting for conviction and removal from office. That's still only 49 votes. It's not even a majority. You need 67 votes, and Donald Trump could pick up Jared Kushner and smack Chief Justice Roberts in the face with him during the proceedings and still the necessary 14 Republicans won't vote him out of office.

So, you have, for the third time in history, a President of the United States who is impeached by the House and acquitted by the Senate.

But, Donald Trump is no ordinary President. He thrives on this crap. This time, there will be no apology in the Rose Garden or a promise to do better. This President will go on a "whistle stop" golfing tour holding rallies in Trump Country drawing out every supporter he can find who will be stronger than ever behind their man. 

Every day, Trump and his loyalists will tweet out "FULL EXONERATION! FULL ACQUITTAL!" in caps on Twitter. He'll blather on about how the Democrats are simply haters and harrassers. His base hardens.

Meanwhile, the Democrats still can't pick a strategy or a candidate. I fear that my party will continue to fumble, stumble, and tumble and rather than come up with a message and an inspiring candidate that can defeat Donald Trump, they'll have their shoestrings tied together and be given a metaphorical wedgie by a man who knows how to do it.

You don't play this game with the master showman. Donald Trump knows how to play something for a spectacle. An impeachment aquittal will give him everything he needs.

And you know who knows all this? The vote counter herself, Nancy Pelosi. You can say what you want about Speaker Pelosi, but the minute she decides to proceed with impeachment is the moment that she knows there are 67 votes in the Senate. Until then, it ain't happenin'. Follow Speaker Pelosi's lead. She knows what she's doing.

The best course of action is to move on. That's right. I said it, Democrats. Move on. 

Donald Trump absolutely deserves to be impeached, but it's not politically possible because the Senate is broken. Our only recourse is to redouble efforts and make sure that we nominate the right Democrat for President.

So, what about the Rule of Law? Well, that's difficult. Trump's a problem for sure, but I swear this is not how he's going to be ousted from office. It's only going to be repudiation at the ballot box that he's out of office, in my opinion anyway. The way to end the Trump Administration is to beat him. There will be time to hold him accountable, but that's when he is out of office in January 2021. I think there's a road map in the Mueller Report for that.

When it comes to President Trump, forget impeachment and focus on November 3, 2020...or, if you like spectacles with no possibility of anything coming out in your favor...by all means, impeach away.

Open Letter to Joe Biden: You're Blowing This But You Can Fix It

Hey, Vice President Biden,
So, you had a bad debate right? You've had a bad couple of weeks, right?

You're still in the lead, so there's time for a time out to learn from your mistakes.

First of all, it's not 1973 or 1985 or whenever anymore. Get out of the mindset. It's 2019, and it's time to wake up. No more "Sleepin' Joe" because Donald Trump is ready to nail you on it. Don't hook your wagon to the past. Acknowledge it, but move on.

You've been out of the game long enough to tell people you've evolved in a major way on many issues. You can also find another way to tout your accomplishments other than saying you worked with segregationists to illustrate that you can work with those you have disagreements.

The biggest thing that you need to focus on is not the past. As the still frontrunner, you need to focus on Donald Trump.

Be disciplined. You're fightin' Joe from Scranton, but resist that urge to be defensive Joe. They're coming after you, but you've been in tougher fights. Remind them that you're Joe Biden in a different way. What's past is past should be your mantra. It's what you're going to do in 2021 when you head into that Oval Office that will win votes.

I know there's an empathetic fighter in there, Joe. I've seen it. Remind people that you have ridden that train home for years. You have the potential to charm, and I'd love to see you show some humility rather than defensiveness and bitterness. It doesn't mean you're weak. On the contrary, with all you've been through, you're stronger than most. Get that swagger back, Mr. Vice President.

Your New Motto:
"Listen, what's done is done. I've been in public life for many years, and I no longer hold many of the views I did when I was younger. What's important now is the future of this nation. I've learned from my past that we can make mistakes and still build for a brighter tomorrow. I was honored when Barack Obama chose me to help him make history. Let's continue to say 'Yes We Can'. Focus our sights on a new tomorrow with our eyes open.

I still want to believe in you, but I can't right now. Win me over. If you win the nomination, you'll have my vote. Make me proud to cast it for you.

Good Luck,
Jon