Two Dems Break Ranks
The House approved the Impeachment Theater resolution mostly along party lines. However, two Dems--Collin Peterson (MN) and Jefferson Van Drew (NJ)--joined the GOP. They come from districts that voted for Trump.
Based on polling, it's likely that quite a few Dems will regret this vote. The Hill is reporting today, as other news outlets have as well, that Polls show support for impeachment weaker in key battleground states :
New polls from several 2020 battlegrounds show more people oppose than support using impeachment to remove President Trump from office, a potential danger sign for Democrats.
Support for impeachment is under water in new surveys of Wisconsin and Florida, two key states in next year’s fight for the White House.
Trump won both in 2016, turning Wisconsin red for the first time in decades and returning Florida to the GOP column after former President Obama carried it twice.
In New Hampshire and Arizona, two more swing states, most voters oppose impeachment. Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton narrowly won the Granite State in 2016, and Democrats believe they have a chance to win Arizona after securing a Senate race last year.
A New York Times–Siena College battlegrounds poll released Wednesday found that majorities in Michigan, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, Arizona and Florida oppose removing the president from office through impeachment. Majorities or pluralities do support an investigation of Trump, however.
Trump’s reelection campaign is emboldened by the polling, which it believes shows that Democrats are running against public opinion in the states that matter the most.
“We’ve known for a long time that everybody in California and New York want Trump to be impeached, they’ve wanted that since the day he came into office,” said one Trump campaign official who is not authorized to speak on the record. “But in these states where the election is really going to be fought, we’re seeing that voters oppose impeachment, and there’s an intensity to that opposition.”
John Hinderaker at Powerline quotes RCP, which averages polls--here are some key highlights:
Despite Democrats’ Attacks, Support for President Trump Has Increased
* In our 17 target states, President Trump’s approval has increased by 3 points since Pelosi announced this charade.
* The President’s sky-high favorability among Republicans has actually increased, as well.
More Americans Want Joe Biden Investigated Than President Trump
...
Impeachment Not Popular In Target States
* In our 17 target states, voters oppose Democrats’ efforts to remove President Trump from office by a 14-point margin.
* Their support for hearings has dropped since the beginning of October.
* 70% believe this is “all politics” and would prefer Congressional Democrats focus on issues like health care, trade, and the economy.
Impeachment Not Popular Among Independents
* Independent voters nationally oppose Democrats’ efforts to remove President Trump from office by a 13-point margin.
The trends are bad and worsening.