Impeachment Thoughts — By John Reed

Impeachment Thoughts
Since I seem to have acquired a reputation for having an opinion, I’m often asked what I think about the current circus in Washington. This week, a few thoughts.
1. No matter how things go, it won’t change most people’s minds. The pro-Trumpers and the anti’s separated themselves into different camps even before he was elected. Even if he’s convicted and removed [highly unlikely given the math in the Senate], he’d still be eligible to run again.
2. The current crop of Democratic candidates are so unelectable, Trump will most likely win in 2020. Now the legal question: if he doesn’t complete his first term due to impeachment, would he then be able to run a third time in 2024?
3. The nationwide divide over policy and governance philosophy will continue, no matter who runs on either side. Since no clear majority exists, we’ll continue to see very close contests…and cries of foul play from the losers. Every campaign will play out under the spotlight of social media, which in fact should keep the candidates and their promises a bit more honest.
4. Even as doomsayers decry the current events, we should take heart that our process, while messy and public, is far smoother than elsewhere. We don’t have snap elections called two or three times a year. We don’t have a dozen or more political parties fighting over ever-smaller pieces of the electoral pie. We don’t have mutinous generals declaring martial law and overthrowing the president. We still live in a stable society where the transfer of the government happens through legal elections.
5. Out of sight of the talking heads and media pundits, things are going very well. The economy is churning along famously, generating jobs for all who want them. We have become energy-independent, meaning foreign events won’t impact our gas supply. There’s a lot to be optimistic about.
6. We still face major challenges: millions still want to come here to get a piece of our economy and relatively peaceful society. Others are so jealous of us that they continue to try to attack us at home and abroad. Even as our universities are the envy of the world, our secondary schools lag behind those of certain other countries.
7. No matter the outcome of the Washington merry-go-round, we’ll survive. No matter the loser, they’ll still be better off than anywhere else in the world.