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Secret Ballot Impeachment?

calamity

calamity

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It would take just three Republican senators to turn the impeachment vote into a secret ballot. It’s not hard to imagine what would happen then.
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I like it.

A secret impeachment ballot might sound crazy, but it’s actually quite possible.

...according to current Senate procedure, McConnell will still need a simple majority—51 of the 53 Senate Republicans—to support any resolution outlining rules governing the trial. That means that if only three Republican senators were to break from the caucus, they could block any rule they didn’t like. (Vice President Mike Pence can’t break ties in impeachment matters.) Those three senators, in turn, could demand a secret ballot and condition their approval of the rest of the rules on getting one.

Some might say transparency in congressional deliberations and votes is inviolable, and it’s true that none of the previous Senate impeachments have been conducted via secret ballot. But the Senate’s role in an impeachment is analogous to a U.S. jury, where secret ballots are often used.
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I bet at least GOP senators like the idea too. I wonder if this gains traction. We can hope, right?

There’s a Surprisingly Plausible Path to Removing Trump From Office - POLITICO Magazine
 
republican male senators are subservient to Donald Trump.

making it a non-public vote will give them a chance to do what's right but i''m still not sure they have the guts.

subservientslave.jpg
 
The GOP could be told to either vote against Donald Trump, or strangle a puppy to death with their bare hands they'll kill the puppy every single time. There isn't a decent bone in the GOP.
 
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CMPancake said:
The GOP could be told to either vote for Donald Trump, or strangle a puppy to death with their bare hands they'll kill the puppy every single time. There isn't a decent bone in the GOP.
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So far, the only ones with guts to speak up have stepped down.
 
calamity said:
So far, the only ones with guts to speak up have stepped down.
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Which is spineless as well as it only leaves the door open to be replaced by another sycophant.
 
Why do you want it to be secret?
 
I want Trump impeached and convicted and sent packing. And as much as I would like to see the GOP Senators get a spine, a secret vote hiding from the people is just not right.

The American people deserve to know how their duly elected Senators voted on an issue of such massive importance.
 
Sure thing, secret vote. Had no idea it only took 3 Republicans.
When free to vote their conscience, we know what they should do.

Of course, the current Senate jury pool that's rabidly partisan, has been telegraphing their group-think and position pre-trial, and is stacked in favor of the defense, is a travesty of any sense of justice.
Democrats should be raging about that, but they don't, because they are suckers.
And the idea of a secret vote...even those it's a pipe dream, would be the *least* of the changes necessary to make that farce of a stacked and biased jury, at least have a shred of legitimacy.
 
Problem is Dem senators that actually want convincing evidence would be just as freed to vote their way
 
Keridan said:
Problem is Dem senators that actually want convincing evidence would be just as freed to vote their way
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That's not a problem, I'd take that risk 100%, immediately. The only reason any Democratic members claim to want some more evidence, is based on their voting district and how much they support Trump, most likely.
 
calamity said:
I like it.
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I don't. The impeachment process is not something to be taken lightly which is why it has taken Trump's actions to build for this long with his corruption, lies and abuse of power for the Dems to act on it.

People need to be ON RECORD for this. Now I know people being on record will cause the senators (the Republican ones) to be fearful of retribution from the mobster known as Trump and his goons, but this process from both the house and senate need to be all on record for those supporting or not supporting impeachment. Hopefully next time the Republicans put a president in the White House, he won't be a corrupt mob boss like Trump who abuses his power.
 
calamity said:
I like it.



I bet at least GOP senators like the idea too. I wonder if this gains traction. We can hope, right?

There’s a Surprisingly Plausible Path to Removing Trump From Office - POLITICO Magazine
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I doubt the Democrats will get all 47 Democratic senators to vote for impeachment and removal. There's a good chance Jones, Alabama where Trump has a 60% approval rating and Manchin West Virginia were Trump's approval rating is at 61% will vote against impeachment and removal. Jones is up for reelection in 2020, a vote for impeachment would doom whatever slim chances he had to get reelected. Manchin isn't up, he was in 2018. But voting Nay on impeachment, each Democratic senator would be voting the way the people of their states want them to vote.

I doubt the secret ballot will get anywhere. There's no way to hold your senators accountable if that happens. It would be government in secrecy with no accountability. I don't think we want to go down that line. Each senator is suppose to represent the people of their state first and foremost. Now we have gotten into our minds that they represent their political party and their party's ideology first and foremost, the people of their state be danged. This is a huge problem as far as I'm concerned. The wants and wishes of the people should come first. Especially the people they are suppose to represent. This concept I think has gotten lost in the partisan's battles between parties over the last 10-20 years.
 
Mycroft said:
There you go...let's make this as open and transparent as we possibly can. That way the public can see we are serious about their wishes.

I know!! Let's use a secret ballot!!

:doh
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They know it's bull****. :lamo
 
Mycroft said:
There you go...let's make this as open and transparent as we possibly can. That way the public can see we are serious about their wishes.

I know!! Let's use a secret ballot!!

:doh
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"Trump hasn't done anything wrong."

"The impeachment will quickly die in the Senate."

"The GOP is fully behind Trump."

And suddenly the Trump Party is deeply concerned about a secret ballot. Yeah, that makes sense. :roll:
 
Mach said:
Sure thing, secret vote. Had no idea it only took 3 Republicans.
When free to vote their conscience, we know what they should do.

Of course, the current Senate jury pool that's rabidly partisan, has been telegraphing their group-think and position pre-trial, and is stacked in favor of the defense, is a travesty of any sense of justice.
Democrats should be raging about that, but they don't, because they are suckers.
And the idea of a secret vote...even those it's a pipe dream, would be the *least* of the changes necessary to make that farce of a stacked and biased jury, at least have a shred of legitimacy.
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Is there any doubt that the Democrats in the House would vote to impeach and the Democrats in the Senate vote to remove?
Even with the extremely weak argument presented?
 
It's a damn good thing for Trump that a bunch of male republicans Senators are gonna lay down for the New York City con man and crook.

Is this Rome?
 
Praxas said:
I don't. The impeachment process is not something to be taken lightly which is why it has taken Trump's actions to build for this long with his corruption, lies and abuse of power for the Dems to act on it.

People need to be ON RECORD for this. Now I know people being on record will cause the senators (the Republican ones) to be fearful of retribution from the mobster known as Trump and his goons, but this process from both the house and senate need to be all on record for those supporting or not supporting impeachment. Hopefully next time the Republicans put a president in the White House, he won't be a corrupt mob boss like Trump who abuses his power.
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Yes. Impeachment should not be treated lightly.
Which is why it is a puzzle we are discussing impeachment when nothing actually happened.
 
Athanasius68 said:
Yes. Impeachment should not be treated lightly.
Which is why it is a puzzle we are discussing impeachment when nothing actually happened.
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:roll:
 
CaughtInThe said:
republican male senators are subservient to Donald Trump.

making it a non-public vote will give them a chance to do what's right but i''m still not sure they have the guts.

subservientslave.jpg
Click to expand...

Yeah, they aren't going to convict him. Graham has even announced publicly that he refuses to do his constitutional duty as a juror. There is no longer a Republican party.
 
I want Trump gone more than anyone, but our Representatives and Senators need to be on the record with this. No games. No secret ballots. It's repeatedly been made clear that dozens of Republicans in both the House and Senate would vote for impeachment/removal if they didn't need to face the political consequences of doing so. It's time for them to step up and grow a pair.
 
Risky Thicket said:
"Trump hasn't done anything wrong."

"The impeachment will quickly die in the Senate."

"The GOP is fully behind Trump."

And suddenly the Trump Party is deeply concerned about a secret ballot. Yeah, that makes sense. :roll:
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I'm not worried about it. I'm just illustrating what an asinine idea it is.
 
Athanasius68 said:
Yes. Impeachment should not be treated lightly.
Which is why it is a puzzle we are discussing impeachment when nothing actually happened.
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Not to mention how many millions of dollars are we blowing on all this?? Absolutely ridiculous how desperate democrats are getting to rid someone they just don’t like.


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