There’s a Surprisingly Plausible Path to
Removing Trump From Office
Politico,
by
Juleanna Glover
Original Article
Posted By: earlybird,
11/14/2019 12:20:53 PM
By most everyone’s judgment, the Senate will not vote to remove President Donald Trump from office if the House impeaches him. But what if senators could vote on impeachment by secret ballot? If they didn’t have to face backlash from constituents or the media or the president himself, who knows how many Republican senators would vote to remove?
A secret impeachment ballot might sound crazy, but it’s actually quite possible.(Snip)
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has said he will immediately move to hold a trial to adjudicate the articles of impeachment if and when the Senate receives them from the House of Representatives.
Reply 1 - Posted by:
MDConservative 11/14/2019 12:26:04 PM (No. 234961)
If Mitch allowed a "secret ballot" leading to conviction it would absolutely destroy the Republican party and de-legitimize the Senate, if not the entire Congress. Such perfidy would not go unpunished in the "collection plate" and at the ballot box.
49 people like this.
Reply 2 - Posted by:
dst4life 11/14/2019 12:31:19 PM (No. 234964)
Um, something about this sounds illegal.
No?! Why is something so absurd being proposed? Have we as Americans been dumbed down to the point where we think a lack of transparency and a lack accountability of Congress critters would be acceptable? This makes my eyes feel like bleeding!!
34 people like this.
Reply 3 - Posted by:
jasmine 11/14/2019 12:31:39 PM (No. 234965)
What a hideous scheme. Too much secrecy already.
Betraying constituents would not go over well with republicans.
30 people like this.
This is #1 Juleanne Glover's holiday wish list. (I won't dignify her enough to use Christmas).
Keep on dreaming little girl. Maybe you should enlist your fairy nature mother, Nutty Nance.
MAGA!!! KAG!!! Dreaming of a landslide in 2020!!! TRUMP 2020!!!
18 people like this.
Reply 5 - Posted by:
SALady 11/14/2019 12:34:26 PM (No. 234971)
The Demon-Rats and the Republi-can'ts have one thing in common -- they only care about their own power!!!
What is good for this country and the peasants means nothing to all but a few good Republicans in Congress and President Trump!!!
Sadly, Civil War II is coming. We the peasants are going to eventually get tired of the evil that that our elected leaders laud over us!!!!
28 people like this.
Reply 6 - Posted by:
Flyball Dogs 11/14/2019 12:35:16 PM (No. 234972)
Re #1, I’m thinking getting hit at the collection plate and/or ballot box would be the LEAST of their worries. I know some people who would not delay several months to show their displeasure.
10 people like this.
Reply 7 - Posted by:
msjena 11/14/2019 12:36:38 PM (No. 234974)
Yes, let's shield our elected officials from the consequences of their actions. So much for the government of the people and by the people.
28 people like this.
Reply 8 - Posted by:
john56 11/14/2019 12:40:41 PM (No. 234979)
You mean Politico has finally figured out the only impeachment scenario that works -- but it involves getting one of Trump's hotel maids to flip and say she was told to tear off those "Do Not Remove Under Penalty of Federal Law" tags off his hotel mattreses!
12 people like this.
Reply 9 - Posted by:
bgarrett 11/14/2019 12:41:52 PM (No. 234981)
"If they didn’t have to face backlash from constituents" What part of --elected to represent the people--dont you understand?
31 people like this.
Reply 10 - Posted by:
Clinger 11/14/2019 12:42:56 PM (No. 234982)
There's this little technicality in the constitution to prevent such shenanigans; if I'm not mistaken its the 2nd amendment.
17 people like this.
Reply 11 - Posted by:
Toby Ten Bears 11/14/2019 12:43:35 PM (No. 234985)
Desperation smells like winning!!
12 people like this.
Reply 12 - Posted by:
bassman 11/14/2019 12:44:51 PM (No. 234987)
For a secret ballot to happen it has to be approved by EVERY SENATOR! Ain't gonna happen!
15 people like this.
Reply 13 - Posted by:
Maggie2u 11/14/2019 12:48:05 PM (No. 234990)
Well, here's an idea. If President Trump is removed then Pence would be President. At this summer's convention, he could nominate Donald Trump to be vice-president. Watching a few heads explode would be great entertainment.
15 people like this.
Reply 14 - Posted by:
Hermoine 11/14/2019 12:48:37 PM (No. 234992)
Sounds like she wants to use the 'ole college frat house secret ballot of "blackballing" someone. Ain't gonna happen. There would be a massive backlash in America if that happened.
10 people like this.
Reply 15 - Posted by:
dwa 11/14/2019 12:53:05 PM (No. 234996)
Never Trumpers and Rhino's are always looking for ways to defy the people -- as are the rats. If McConnell and the rest were to do this secret vote, and it removed the president, it would be the opening salvo of a hot civil war since we the people would and could never trust our government again, including the congress, the supreme court etc. It would be the end of this country.
14 people like this.
Reply 16 - Posted by:
DVC 11/14/2019 12:58:13 PM (No. 234999)
A secret ballot removal of Trump would definitely crack open the 2nd Amendment.
13 people like this.
Reply 17 - Posted by:
ToryWhite 11/14/2019 1:00:54 PM (No. 235002)
Almost a diabolical article. Very sorry to see it on Lucianne. Lately, there have been more like this. Change in leadership on this site?
6 people like this.
Reply 18 - Posted by:
mindsport 11/14/2019 1:07:23 PM (No. 235007)
Mitch's threat is meant to scare Dem's, not trigger loyal trump supporters. Obviously no one wants a senate trial, but if one were to occur all sorts of dirt will be heaped on the Democrats heading into next years elections.
7 people like this.
Reply 19 - Posted by:
cold porridge 11/14/2019 1:18:27 PM (No. 235015)
#19, I don't think posting this article means a shift of values for this site. We should be kept abreast of the opposition's evil thoughts and deeds.
26 people like this.
Reply 20 - Posted by:
Nimby 11/14/2019 1:20:49 PM (No. 235018)
What a maroon!! A Bushie to boot
6 people like this.
Reply 21 - Posted by:
earlybird 11/14/2019 1:21:35 PM (No. 235019)
Re #19, you must be a newbie. I’ve been at the site for nearly two decades. We are not an echo chamber here. It is good to know what the other side is up to. And Politico, though a leftist site, is approved for posting.
27 people like this.
Reply 22 - Posted by:
davew 11/14/2019 1:26:49 PM (No. 235025)
I'm curious why the author seems certain that Republican Senators would vote to impeach Trump if the ballot was secret? Don't they at least need to have a public trial based on some Constitutional based charge? Just because Trump is not popular with some Never Trumpers doesn't mean they can just lynch him in secret without violating Trump's rights. This would be judged by history as an example of jury nullification when a jury ignores the law or evidence and just convicts or acquits someone because of bias.
Its even worse than this because there was no actual crime. The Ukrainian Foreign Minister clearly stated today that there was no linkage between the aid and any investigation. At least with a lynching the condemned knew what they were being falsely accused of.
4 people like this.
Reply 23 - Posted by:
zzzghy 11/14/2019 1:27:04 PM (No. 235026)
And we'll all stand around and lap it up?
This could get really ugly.
It won't now, but one day it will. I'm happy and relieved to be a geezer. The pussyhats are destined for quite the wild ride.
8 people like this.
Reply 24 - Posted by:
Pete Stone 11/14/2019 1:29:45 PM (No. 235028)
Everything goes smoothly as long as the pitchforks stay in the hay. An attempt to use a secret ballot in the Senate would bring the forks (and firearms) out.
In any fair trial there is the option of polling the jury, i.e., forcing each juror to say out loud what his/her vote was. Juleanna seems to want a kangaroo court instead.
5 people like this.
Reply 25 - Posted by:
snakeoil 11/14/2019 1:30:38 PM (No. 235030)
Ludicrous to believe that anything in Washington could be kept secret. They couldn't even keep the name of Slick Willie's cigar holder a secret. But maybe we could try secret ballots to impeach Nasty Pelosi and Schiff for Brains.
2 people like this.
Reply 26 - Posted by:
ronbet 11/14/2019 1:43:46 PM (No. 235035)
Apparently, there are few honest people left in Washington; all others are either backstabbers or those doing or wanting to do things behind somebody's back and to remain anonymous. Mr. Trump was right; the place is a swamp.
4 people like this.
Reply 27 - Posted by:
chance_232 11/14/2019 1:44:35 PM (No. 235038)
Everyone assumes that the democrats "wiil" vote to impeach. However, if 21 democrats out of 233 vote no, impeachment is dead. Its not impossible that that could happen.
If the house had to sames 3/4ths vote requirement that the Senate does, we wouldnt be witnessing this clown show.
0 people like this.
Reply 28 - Posted by:
MindMadeUp 11/14/2019 1:49:53 PM (No. 235042)
And they could send white smoke out the chimney of the senate building when they make their decision.
7 people like this.
Reply 29 - Posted by:
Avanti1 11/14/2019 1:50:00 PM (No. 235043)
What a hideous suggestion!!
Senators are elected to represent the people of their respective states, they are not elected to operate in secret to prevent the voters from expressing disapproval at the ballot box!!
Each Senator should determine whether or not the people in their state believe Trump should be impeached and then vote accordingly.
Better yet, wait until November 2020 to see whether Trump is reelected. Let the PEOPLE decide!!
6 people like this.
Reply 30 - Posted by:
Lucky5 11/14/2019 1:53:28 PM (No. 235045)
Can you even imagine if that headline was about 0bama?
I will never be the same or hold the courtesy I have practiced my entire adult life towards a demonrat President again.
It is war and the looney left wing and the media caused this. It is their war and their mess.
8 people like this.
Reply 31 - Posted by:
john56 11/14/2019 1:55:14 PM (No. 235046)
Remember how Abraham and God "negotiated" about saving the city of Sodom. God said he would not destroy the town if there were 50 good folks there. Abraham came back with 40, and God agreed. He threw out 30 and God still made the deal. Even got down to 20 and it was still good. Abraham pushed his luck and tried for 10. God still made the deal.
Problem is, to make the deal in Washington, you might have to get God to agree to five.
6 people like this.
Reply 32 - Posted by:
msjena 11/14/2019 1:55:21 PM (No. 235047)
Leftists, and all totalitarians, love secrecy. No need for the people to know what the "elites" are doing. They, the "elites," know better, after all.
3 people like this.
Reply 33 - Posted by:
skacmar 11/14/2019 1:55:28 PM (No. 235048)
How about a way to make sure that the impeachment never happens.... Have a secret ballot in the House on whether to impeach or not. How many Democrats would vote no if Schiff and Pelosi did not know it was them?
9 people like this.
Reply 34 - Posted by:
earlybird 11/14/2019 1:59:42 PM (No. 235050)
Re #24, she knows nothing. She is clearly a McCainiac and a frustrated Jebster, writing for a lefty publication. Tossing this out as plausible. Her opinion. Her propaganda. More divisiveness...
5 people like this.
Reply 35 - Posted by:
seamusm 11/14/2019 2:10:27 PM (No. 235055)
Any such move would create a clear path to a Dem victory next fall. They would own both legislative bodies of the US Congress as well as the Presidency and would legislate a hold on power that might be impossible to overcome far into the future.
3 people like this.
Reply 36 - Posted by:
lakerman1 11/14/2019 2:13:43 PM (No. 235058)
She is so nutty, I'll bet she owns a Fiat.
5 people like this.
Reply 37 - Posted by:
Periwinkel 11/14/2019 2:16:14 PM (No. 235059)
Who should tell Juleanna the Senate does NOT vote on impeachment? They vote for conviction/removal. Wow the stupidity of the creeps at Politico is astounding.
I can see why she worked for Jeb Bush...he wasn't much smarter!
5 people like this.
Reply 38 - Posted by:
EQKimball 11/14/2019 2:19:20 PM (No. 235062)
Under the Standing Rules of the Senate, one fifth of a quorum (51/5=11) may insist on a roll call vote. A motion to suspend the rule on roll call voting (Rule XII (1)) is out of order and may not be entertained.
5 people like this.
Reply 39 - Posted by:
Highvoltage 11/14/2019 2:19:48 PM (No. 235063)
In the US democracy the legislature is accountable to the people who elected Trump, and that is the problem for the Democrats who are working toward a coup. Democracy and the US Constitution is always a problem for Democrats to respect.
3 people like this.
Reply 40 - Posted by:
bighambone 11/14/2019 2:20:32 PM (No. 235064)
Never happen, as even stupid and wimpy Republican Senators know a “Secret Ballot” would mean to the 62 million plus deplorable Republican voters who elected President Trump, that they are cowards who ran away from their vote. That impression would amount to political suicide for just about all of the wimpy Republican Senators who cast such Secret ballots, and likely would result in them facilitating the election to the White House of a radical leftist Democrat socialist in 2020.
3 people like this.
Reply 41 - Posted by:
Dodge Boy 11/14/2019 2:22:09 PM (No. 235068)
#19, you on the wrong salon here?
2 people like this.
Reply 42 - Posted by:
judy 11/14/2019 2:30:55 PM (No. 235075)
Politico aka fake news...dream on fakers. What a bunch of garbage, no wonder 97% don’t trust the media.
3 people like this.
Reply 43 - Posted by:
BarryNo 11/14/2019 2:48:30 PM (No. 235085)
Right... Hide from the outraged voters and everyone is Mr. Courageous...
Take your cowardly backstabbing ways and SHOVE IT!!!
1 person likes this.
Reply 44 - Posted by:
beancounter 11/14/2019 2:51:31 PM (No. 235088)
How bout you try winning an election? Not plausible?
3 people like this.
Reply 45 - Posted by:
Foghorn 11/14/2019 3:02:10 PM (No. 235100)
I don't think this is plausible because if President Trump is removed from office that would mean that Pelosi would become the Vice President. Pence would become President. Impeachment would start immediately against Pence claiming he aided and abetted Trump. If that happens and Pence is removed from office then Pelosi would become President. I don't think the Republicans would vote to remove Trump.
1 person likes this.
Reply 46 - Posted by:
lisa belanger 11/14/2019 3:10:01 PM (No. 235110)
if so mr mcconnell we will have to assume
all the senators even the ones who voted against
impeachent are guilty sp we will vote them out all of them///period
1 person likes this.
Reply 47 - Posted by:
Philipsonh 11/14/2019 3:17:49 PM (No. 235119)
Elected officials work for US ! We deserve transparency. What gall to suggest otherwise.
2 people like this.
Reply 48 - Posted by:
udanja99 11/14/2019 3:21:01 PM (No. 235122)
#19, the staff does not choose which articles are posted here. Individual members of this site do that and post articles themselves. If you look under the “Original Article” link, you’ll see who posted each article.
3 people like this.
Reply 49 - Posted by:
Hermit_Crab 11/14/2019 4:27:15 PM (No. 235185)
And say that they DO decide to have a secret ballot... and DO manage to convict and throw Trump out.... Then ALL Republican Senators are suspect, and all will be primaried out by an enraged citizenry.... If they aren't 'Ceaușescuized' .
1 person likes this.
Reply 50 - Posted by:
shamus 11/14/2019 5:00:47 PM (No. 235221)
Why not use a secret ballot for all votes? This would aid our ruling class.
1 person likes this.
Reply 51 - Posted by:
David Key 11/14/2019 5:19:36 PM (No. 235237)
Dream on little dreamer. If the Republicans were to vote to impeach there would be an explosion that could be seen from the moon. If the Republican elites think they can back stab the base's favorite they will pay a price so bad they would have to be downright stupid. This is just a lefties wet dream put in print, like the appeal to the Electoral College voters to go against the voters will. Not gonna happen.
1 person likes this.
Reply 52 - Posted by:
MickTurn 11/14/2019 6:01:55 PM (No. 235270)
It will be easy...wait 5 more years.
1 person likes this.
Reply 53 - Posted by:
LaVallette 11/15/2019 5:46:39 AM (No. 235539)
No possibility that in a secret ballot, even more Demonrat senators would vote against impeachment to preserve their hides. They would still be able to claim, "We tried", but they would not face a massive electoral revulsion if they were to actually impeach the president, at least on the current available "hearsay" non-evidence.
0 people like this.
#47, read the Constitution a little more closely. If Trump were removed, Pence would become president, and nominate a new VP for senate confirmation. Pelosi would remain a congresswoman from California, nothing more. She would only become president if both Trump and Pence simultaneously, or nearly so, died, were removed, resigned, were incapacitated, etc. Who replaced Spiro Agnew? Hint: It wasn’t Tip O'Neil.
1 person likes this.
Comments:
Some bio info from the article: Juleanna Glover has worked as an adviser for several Republican politicians, including George W. Bush, Dick Cheney, John Ashcroft and Rudy Giuliani, and advised the presidential campaigns of John McCain and Jeb Bush.