Will impeachment backfire on Democrats?

The answer is potentially yes.

Last month, the articles of impeachment – abuse of power and obstruction of Congress – moved from the U.S. House of Representatives to the Senate despite cries of a “witch hunt” from Pres. Trump.

Nancy Pelosi, the Speaker of the House, has referred to impeachment as “necessary” and that the president “gave (them) no choice” but to move forward with impeachment.

“It appears to me to be a dangerous precedent to allow any president to (…) claim executive privilege (…because it causes) in a sense there to be no oversight by Congress,” said Brandon Dell’Orto, the AP United States History teacher at Granite Bay High. “To me it just completely erodes the idea of checks and balances (…but) the Democrats are (also) doing this to destroy and bring down (Trump’s) power and influence in the 2020 election.”

Some are unsure of how exactly impeachment could shake up the election, considering the fact that an incredibly minute number of Republicans have broken support for Pres. Trump both in Washington, D.C., and around America.

A USA Today/Suffolk University poll last spring found that 39% of voters were planning to vote for Pres. Trump at the time the poll was conducted (March 13-17) and 36% of voters were in favor of a Democratic nominee.

While these numbers would project President Trump as the winner of the 2020 presidential election, 14% of voters were undecided on who they hoped to vote for. 

It’s certain impeachment won’t result in many Republicans turning their backs on Trump, but the Democrats are hoping the results will bring some undecided  voters to their side.

Many people have begun to worry that impeachment might instead cause undecided voters to fall on the side of the President.

“I feel like the results (of) impeachment (will only harm) the Democrats instead of helping them,” said Matthew Wilson, a  senior who is planning to vote as a Democrat. “While I’m still a Democrat, it wouldn’t be surprising if some people who registered as Democrats (vote) Republican in the 2020 election.”

For many, the reaction that impeachment is cultivating isn’t perfectly apparent. Interpretation is varying from person to person.

“The electoral college (usually acts) similarly to Congress,” said Mark Anthony Agustin, a senior who will register as a Republican voter. “Last election some Democrats voted for Trump, (but) I believe that won’t happen this time.”

As Nov. 3 gets closer and closer, it will surely become more clear whether impeachment was a good decision on the Democrats’ part.

“We’ve gotten so polarized now that it’s coming down to that (group of people) that say they really haven’t made a decision,” said Dell’Orto. “They will probably for the foreseeable future be the group that’s going to swing (elections).”