In Favor of Impeachment Proceedings — Letters that should have been in the new york times

To the editor:

In an effort to strategize how to defeat President Trump in 2020 (4.21.19, How 2020 Democrats are Gaming Out Trump Impeachment Quandary), Democratic candidates cynically miscalculate as they shy away from calling for impeachment proceedings in the wake of the Mueller report. The rationale is three-fold: the electorate is uninterested in impeachment, the votes do not exist in the Senate to remove President Trump and his base will be energized with such efforts.

Our democracy has been weakened by Russian interference and by a President who attacks the very institutions we depend upon as the bedrock of society. Lies, creating false narratives, have infected the minds of many Americans leading to a pervasive atmosphere of paranoia. But resisting calls to impeach gives in to the very paranoia we need to fight. It reinforces the notion that speaking the truth and doing the right thing will result in harm; that illuminating the facts will hurt the truth tellers as if we exist in an authoritarian world rather than a democracy.

It is worth remembering that President Trump won by a slim margin with Russian support in a country that voted Barack Obama into office twice. There is a strong case to be made to those swing voters. Impeachment proceedings, in addition to clear policy statements, are a critical part of that case.

Respectfully

Larry S.Sandberg