When Republicans cry 'Impeach!' do Democrats win?
| Washington
Sarah Palin鈥檚 high-profile call for the impeachment of President Obama has renewed discussion of this provocative subject among some Republicans this week. But here鈥檚 an open question: Which party does this help? Is there a chance it鈥檚 benefiting Democrats at the expense of the GOP?
That鈥檚 what some on the right now believe.
鈥淒emocrats would love to run in 2014 on Republican impeachment proceedings. In their absence, they are already fundraising off of Palin鈥檚 comments,鈥� at the conservative site Hot Air!
Let鈥檚 back up a bit and look at the political context in which Ms. Palin raised the I-word.
It鈥檚 nothing new for a Republican to call for Obama鈥檚 impeachment. Various figures within the party have been advocating such action 鈥� or simply noting that it could be on the table 鈥� since around 2009. Most recently, in June the South Dakota GOP at its state convention called for the House to start impeachment proceedings. Then this week came Palin鈥檚 鈥渋mpeach him鈥� post on Breitbart.com.
So the subject鈥檚 been around. But really, Palin aside, it鈥檚 not something that鈥檚 engaged high-profile party figures. Those advocating impeachment are mostly a scattering of former congressmen and state lawmakers. Establishment Republicans 鈥� many tea party leaders, too 鈥� have tended to avoid talking about it, or say flatly they oppose impeachment. Thus Speaker John Boehner, asked to comment on Palin鈥檚 position, this week said simply, 鈥淚 disagree.鈥�
There鈥檚 a reason for that. Mr. Boehner lived through the experience of the impeachment of President Clinton, and from that took away the conclusion that it was nothing but a political disaster for Republicans. The GOP looks to do well in 2014 midterms, possibly recapturing control of the Senate. Impeachment proceedings could scramble those prospects.
Why? It could energize an otherwise-dispirited Democratic Party base, for one thing. Minority and low-income voters who generally turn out in low numbers in midterms might flock to the polls. And it might blot out virtually all other issues.
That鈥檚 led conservative pundit Bill O鈥橰eilly, among other Republicans, to say .
鈥淚 think the reason why it would hurt the Republican Party would be because that would be the story. So that all of President Obama鈥檚 other problems 鈥� would recede and it would all be about, you know, this impeachment,鈥� Mr. O鈥橰eilly said on his Fox News show Thursday.
In some sections of the Democratic Party it鈥檚 already all about impeachment. Since Palin鈥檚 post on Tuesday the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee has sent out at least two fundraising e-mail blasts centered on impeachment themes, according to a piece Friday in Politico.
In a third e-mail titled 鈥淧alin HUMILIATED,鈥� the DCCC claimed that its donation rate had doubled due to the perceived impeachment threat.
鈥淩epublican overreach continues to be a huge motivating factor for our grass roots. The response to impeachment has been well over six figures,鈥� DCCC spokesman .
All this may explain why Speaker Boehner has finally begun to act on his threat to sue President Obama for what he (Boehner) says is executive branch overreach.
Boehner does not want impeachment talk to get out of hand, lest Democrats benefit. So perhaps he鈥檚 suing Obama in part to satisfy the demands of the party base for some sort of confrontational action.
鈥淚t鈥檚 much, much harder to accuse Boehner of being soft on Obama when he鈥檚 currently bringing the guy to court. That鈥檚 no small thing. It鈥檚 also more politically palatable to the broader American electorate than impeachment,鈥� writes Aaron Blake at of the Washington Post.
