I expect no effects on us directly. Further down the track, it may be different. Since Republicans are expected to vote a majority no in the Senate, Trump will continue as POTUS until the next election. It's possible that the whole process might end up giving him an advantage at the next polls. Republicans are likely to think that the failed impeachment exonerates Trump from the charges of abuse of his presidential power and influence. Exoneration may attract more conservatives to protect and bolster him. He could end up re-elected with a greater majority.
The Democrats need to finalise their candidate and get going on their best campaign ever. And they need to come out to vote.
Unfortunately, that is something I have been worried about. None strikes me as having the qualities I so admired in Obama. Though I confess, I do like Bloomberg. Even if he's a bit far to the right of the Dems, I think he's sincere in his most recent policy statements, and I think he would prove to be an able leader. It seems he's attracting too small a percentage of the vote to succeed. I like Bernie and his views best - but I worry about his age. Maybe I am being ageist - but I'm not sure if his health would survive the stress.
This post was edited by inky at December 19, 2019 6:11 PM MST
It probably will not affect you (or the vast majority of people in the world) directly.
But it might affect you indirectly. In the highly polarized political environment in the United States, small shifts in voting patterns can have outsize effects upon elections (e.g. arguably, Trump won by a margin of 70,000 votes in a few key swing states in an election where 130 million people voted).
However the impeachment process affects the next few election cycles, the results of those elections could change polices which could have profound impacts on your life. For example, a (GOP-appointed) judge recently ruled the individual mandate in the "Obamacare" legislation is no longer constitutional because the Trump administration repealed the taxation portion of it. Because Congress bizarrely did not include a severability clause in the legislation, invalidation of the individual mandate could potentially invalidate the whole law.
I suspect you have preferences whom you would like holding political power should Obamacare be repealed sometime in 2021, and the impeachment proceedings may influence which major political party has the most influence.
Can an impeached President still access the launch codes? If so, the fear factor remains.
If the Senate fails to convict, then they give any and all subsequent administrations Carte Blanche to abuse foreign influence to further their domestic political ends. I also note that one criminal charge has not been included in the articles of impeachment, ie the theft of funds from the Trump Foundation by his political campaign - a competent court has taken notice of that one. Clever work by the Dems, they have that up their sleeve if by some demonic machinations His Royal Orangeness is reelected. Sidestep Double Jeopardy, they can impeach him again.
It probably will have little direct effect on me other than the satisfaction of knowing that, until the end of time, history will show him to be only the third president to be impeached up to this point. Trump already knows, and is bothered by, his not winning with a majority of the vote. Only the Electoral College gave him the win. Impeaching him will make him feel even more insecure which could cause him to become even more erratic than he is now. That is the real fear I have because that insecurity could cause him to make decisions that could be disastrous for the country as a whole.
inky 