How many of this fall's campaigns made impeachment a central issue

[onenote]

or any issue at all, for that matter. There were 468 elections (the entire House and 1/3 of the Senate). I don't believe that impeachment was the 'platform' on which any of those races was run.


Under the circumstances, any Democrat who campaigned on a platform of doing x,y, and z without mentioning impeachment who then makes impeachment a high priority is giving the repubs (including the repub that he/she just defeated) an immediate issue to hammer him/her with. If something as big as impeachment was important to someone running for office and they didn't speak of it, then they are guilty of bait and switch and will pay a price with the electorate.

Many campaigns made corruption and lack of oversight an issue and that is why investigations and hearings are necessary and appropriate. But if Democrats were unwilling to talk about impeachment during the campaign, they should not talk about it now, at least not until investigations/hearings produce a significant uptick in public sentiment for impeachment (currently, a large majority does not consider impeachment a high priority).

[pnwmom]

1. I agree, onenote.

That's not why people were elected.

[rinsd]

2. 21 candidates for general election received the endoresment of the ImpeachPAC

1 candidate won their election.

http://impeachpac.org/candidates

Here is their criteria for endorsement

http://impeachpac.org/?q=endorsement-policy

[onenote]

6. that tells you a lot right there, doesn't it

[rinsd]

7. Not the full story but it certainly looks like voters are not gungho on impeachment

[Just-plain-Kathy]

10. Says who?

[rinsd]

11. Ummm 1 for 21 in impechment candidates.

Again, not the full story but it seems to show that voters are not chomping at the bit for impeachment.

If you are going to post that internet poll about 87%, don't bother. DU and other lefty blogs have flogged it so badly it is useless as a gauge.

[Ian David]

3. Phil Dunkelbarger and Carl Sheeler. n/t

[sandnsea]

8. Sheeler endorsed Chaffee

Great guy he turned out to be. Looks like he was a mole all along and used impeachment to scare Rhode Islanders into voting against the Democrat - using DUer's money to do it.

“I discussed this decision with folks like Democratic Party Vice Chair Joe DiLorenzo and former U.S. Senate candidate and Congressman Bob Weygand (D-RI). Our campaign was very public about withdrawing from Iraq well before it was popular. We called for replacing American troops with a Euro-Arab coalition. Chafee was the sole Republican senator to oppose the war and he shares my solution of bringing Middle East stability. That takes leadership and character. While I commend his current position, my former opponent shifted where he stood on Iraq. It strikes me as politically expedient. I disaffiliated from the Republican Party as protest to Bush’s irresponsible fiscal policy and War in Iraq. I asked our Democratic lead General Assembly to hold Bush accountable, which they were unwilling to do. It’s not lost on me that the DNC/DSCC tried to recruit Chafee; especially after he wrote in George H. W. Bush’s name for president in 2004. I say vote the person, not the party. I may not agree with Mr. Chafee on all matters, but I trust him.”

http://www.chafeeforsenate.com/endorsements.aspx

[Ian David]

9. I missed that. Well, I wasted a couple hundred bucks on Carl, didn't I? n/t

[Just-plain-Kathy]

4. During the election Pelosi often spoke

about gaining subpoena power and accountability. I heard her say that she was going to look into the run up to war. I thought it was implied that when the truth came out, holding the White House accountable would mean impeachment.

I post at another political message board where both parties participate. I’m tired of this one guy always saying, “Democrats are weak, they have no guts, they would let us get attacked and they’d do nothing”. If impeachment IS off the table, we can all say this guy was right.

The group of thugs we have in the White House hurt us as much as Osama did, if not more. We can’t let these guys walk.

[rinsd]

5. No offense but that "one guy" doesn't matter

In fact his line has to do more with defense. You would play right into his hands with impeachment because then he would say "see Democrats are trying to destroy other Americans rather than go after terrorists" or some other bullshit.

You should want impeachment on its own merits(and I am sure you do), don't worry about what one guy says because he will never give credit to the Dems for being "tough".

[Vidar]

12. I agree. Good post.