First you say you do
And then you don’t
And then you say you will
And then you won’t
You’re undecided now
So what are you gonna do?
Those lyrics, from the great Sid Robin/Charlie Shavers jazz song, “Undecided”, were written in 1938.
Who would have thought they’d be so appropriate to the 2019 Democrat Party’s current position(s) on impeachment?
Excerpted from John Bresnahan, Heather Caygle and sarah Ferris’s article at politico.com:
Democrats slam Trump as “lawless” and “a threat to democracy” in one breath, then in the next say they won’t impeach him and knock the media for asking about it. They’re infuriated when Trump refuses to comply with subpoenas, saying he’s trying to “goad” them into impeaching him, yet refuse to do anything more than file another lawsuit. And party leaders repeatedly insist Democrats can “walk and chew gum at the same time” — investigate Trump while pushing their own legislative agenda — but there hasn’t been much walking or chewing lately.
Speaker Nancy Pelosi thinks impeachment is a bad idea without GOP support — of which there is almost none — but refuses to shut the door on it entirely, fearing doing so would alienate the party base. Other Democratic leaders, such as House Majority Whip Jim Clyburn, suggest impeachment is inevitable one day only to back away the next. Democrats’ internal polling shows it’s not a hot topic for voters, yet for outside activists, it’s the only issue, one they believe will define the party for years to come.
Pelosi’s hold on rank-and-file Democrats remains strong, and there’s no sign that the divide among Democrats has damaged her position internally. Yet more than one-quarter of her caucus — almost 60 members — publicly supports opening an impeachment inquiry into Trump. And that number is slowly growing.
The article goes on to quote several Democrats who point out – correctly – that, if Trump is impeached, the impeachment charges will fail in the senate (67 votes are needed but the senate has only 47 Democrats – not all of whom are guaranteed to convict), it will “vindicate” Trump, even make him a sympathetic figure, and help him win re-election in 2020.
But what about the hard-left Democrat base – the one which, increasingly, dominates the overall party? What will they say about this? How will a refusal to impeach affect their enthusiasm level for voting on election day?
Now that is a true conundrum.
To say the least, it will be interesting to see how this plays out.
Speaking of playing, however, I will end my blog by giving you this link to the Delta Rhythm Boys’ version of “Undecided”.
Most people have never heard of these wonderful singers, who gave us such terrific music from 1934 right into the 1980’s. But if you like swing music and beautiful harmonies, you won’t forget them soon.
