National Public Radio recently reported on an according to a new NPR/PBS NewsHour/Marist poll that confirms what I think most of us already know: impeachment process is not going to change the mind of most Americans.
- Overall, 65% of poll respondents said “no” when asked the question, “Can you imagine any information or circumstances during the impeachment inquiry where you might change your mind about your position on impeachment?”
- Overall, when asked the question of whether “Based on what you’ve heard or read, has the testimony and evidence presented during the impeachment inquiry made you more likely to support impeachment, the number among poll respondents was 47% in favor and 41% saying they were less likely to support impeachment.
- Overall, when asked whether “A whistleblower within the intelligence community filed a complaint about the contents of a call President Trump had with a foreign leader. Do you think the identity of the whistleblower should be protected,” the number of poll respondents answering in the affirmative was 56%, while 39% thought his name should be revealed.
Count me as those Americans whose minds is unlikely to be changed. In part that’s because I’ve already done a lot to inform myself, and I think the evidence is already overwhelming that Trump tried to shake down the new government of Ukraine to get them to investigate the Bidens (and more importantly, to announce publicly that they were investigating the Bidens).
But I do think that the witnesses that the Democrats have paraded up to the Committee hearing room have been good witnesses. And yes, I have been watching. They’ve been composed, they have not been defensive, and they have answered questions clearly.
And under oath.
As I’ve noted previously, the witnesses with “first hand” knowledge that the Republicans (allegedly) would like to have appear in front of the Committee have all been blocked from appearing by Donald Trump.
The President has, of course, teased the possibility that he might appear in front of the Committee himself. But he then quickly withdrew that suggestion to say that he might answer questions “in writing.”
That’s not going to work.
In writing he can study the questions and have his attorneys answer the questions for him.
No, we would need that lying malignant narcissist live and under oath, where he would almost certainly perjure himself.
Good luck waiting for that to happen.