Yeah,  I know. You’re thrilled that there’s a formal inquiry. You use the word “comeuppance” in your mind. You want to rally in the streets.

STOP

NOW

We, the regular people, have important work to do, and none of it relates to gloating, or public displays. Speaker Pelosi was correct yesterday. It was a sad day. It’s horrible that we have come to this. The idea that someone was elected president and then broke the most fundamental laws on which our country was founded is heartbreaking.

Remember that the Orange Menace was elected. And he has actual supporters who will do anything and everything to endeavor to keep him in office. While he has segued the Republican Party to the The Party of Trumpkin, there are institutional things inherent in how they operate, and we must work around them. 99% of the time, they win the messaging wars, and this needs to be our 1%.

As individuals, we need to reach out to people who are not yet on board with the idea that Captain Chaos and his regime have broken the law. OK, MANY  laws. These people like that brown people are imprisoned at the border. They like the rollback of environmental regulations. They think they received a tax cut. They don’t believe in climate change. According to CNN last night, 44% had not heard about the Ukraine imbroglio. It is up to We, The People, to get them on board.

Our leaders need to message properly. The 2020 candidates all (except Gabbard) said yesterday that they are behind the impeachment inquiry, and if the charges are true, he must be impeached. (Albeit, none used the word “convicted”.) Our House members, in their signing-on to the process spoke of the rule of law, and Constitutional requirements. Now it is up to us, to reach out to our family, friends and neighbors to help them see the facts.

So here is the program:

1. Learn the process. If you don’t remember it from grade school civics class, here’s a primer.
2. Start all pitches with “If it’s true” so that your target knows that you, too, want to hear what happened with Ukraine, and the memo, in sum toto, and not just bits and pieces.
3. Watch the hearings, not just the nightly re-caps. Take notes. Be prepared for the Alexander Butterfield moments.
4. Talk to people outside your bubble, and get them to watch the hearings, too, including telling them what mattered to you when you last watched.
5. Keep talking! And while you’re talking, LISTEN to their responses so you can find holes in their belief system.
6. Send a note of thanks to your Rep for signing on to the investigation, or keep pressure if yours is one of the MoC’s who has not done so yet.

This will not be a quick process, although it needs to wrap up by next summer. In answer to the questions I received yesterday:

• The Republicans (and the Democrats) have a “line” on every presidential ballot. If the candidate chosen through the primary/caucus process cannot be on the ballot, that name can be changed by the party up to the point that the ballots are printed. Those dates vary by state. The presidential election WILL be held on 3 November 2020.
• Yes, in addition to Trumpkin, Pence, Mnuchin, Pompeo, Mulavey, Barr and the rest of the regime can both be impeached and criminally charged.
• Yes, if Trumpkin is impeached and convicted, and refuses to leave, he will be forcibly removed.

Get on it, folks! We need public acceptance. And for those of you who aren’t old enough to remember, when the Watergate hearings started, Nixon wasn’t going anywhere. His support was higher than Trmpkin’s is now. But it all crashed down, and he resigned for the good of the country. The Cheeto Jesus will fight to the last breath because he likes theatre and chaos. But cooler heads will prevail and sunshine is the best disinfectant.