At least one aspect of Erick Erickson’s observations (he formerly of RedState now of Resurgent) provides an insightful factoid relevant to the House impeachment machinations. He also provides a debatable point or two about Schiffs performance vis a vi the Republicans.
Your Guide to Yesterday’s Impeachment Hearing For When You Hate Them All (excerpt with our annotations in red, bold our emphasis)
On the format of it, contrary to the GOP partisan spin, Adam Schiff actually did a pretty admirable job making an articulable case for impeachment. The GOP side railed on process on the Democrats’ case for more witnesses. The Democrats used existing witness testimony to claim they had met the bar for removal already and just wanted to go deeper. Frankly, the GOP side was more of a clown show than I expected. . . .
Lesson: Never underestimate your enemy. Come basically prepared for all aspects of the battle. Anticipate the media opportunities. We suspect the Presidents team was expecting lengthy procedural contentions that first day time period rather than case statements. Their order of battle was flummoxed a bit. They will get the final words but Schiff played the more attentive early media.
There are not enough votes to get the President convicted and, again, he should not be. The House failed to build a persuasive case and it is not the Senate’s job to help the House in this. There were twenty-one Republicans in the House, half of whom hate the President, who are leaving and no longer in need of Trump voter support. The House Democrats could not get those guys. They sure as hell won’t get two-thirds of the Senate. . . .
Telling point
