You probably figured out by now that I am not a fan of the current POTUS. It is not a partisan thing since I have voted for Republicans for numerous offices, including President. It is for much deeper, more visceral reasons.

Based on what I have seen, he is a jackass. He is, to a large degree, a narcissistic twit. He is a whiny bitch and a petulant bully. he may even be an unknowing Russian asset. And the howls for his impeachment grow daily.

But, let’s save the impeachment talk until there is something impeachable to use against POTUS45. And so far, there just is not a thing that qualifies at all.  And that makes those howls scary.Right now, folks are starting to sound like those morons who kept putting up signs in the 50s and 60s that said, “Save America! Impeach Earl Warren”. Not because Trump is another Earl Warren, but because merely one finds the position of an official off-putting or odious does not mean it is grounds for impeachment.[1] And an impeachable offense does not mean you automatically toss them out either.

The same jackass calling for “law and order’ with the intention of allowing police departments to piss on the 4th amendment, is entitled to the very protections and rule of law that he may have disdain for. That’s the sad truth, but it must remain a truth. This is the real test.

Institutions are only as good as the people involved in them. The intelligence, honor, faith and willingness to abide by the conventions and stabilizing factors they provide.  And right now, the pitchforks need to stop coming out every time he does something dumb. Especially when steel chairs will suffice.

Now, by that, I do not mean people should literally go running around hitting the POTUS or his supporters with chairs.[2] Not only is it illegal but it misses the point. When he is in error, then hit him hard on it with good argumentation and facts. Call for not supporting his actions because they are supported by pure hokum. There is much that can be done and if the past is any indication of future performance, he will provide plenty of fodder.

But calling for impeachment all the time shows an ignorance of the Presidential law, historical context, Constitutional law, and political realities. Moreover, since even a blind squirrel can find a nut sometimes, there is a chance his administration may, occasionally, not screw something up. In that case, do you want them battling impeachment cries every single moment of every day? I’d argue no because, at some point, somebody must be in charge. Like it or not, this administration is the only one with a legal right to run the Executive branch. And yes, they can run it badly. Even horribly. Those are the breaks.

So, what to do? Cease resisting? Oh, no, by all means, resist. Bite back. Do not take the “high ground” and refuse to belittle the Trump brigade. But do it all with the knowledge that High Crimes and Misdemeanors, the standard for impeachment, is a high bar. Do it knowing that treason takes more than just being a Russian dupe or even personally benefitting from having a hands-off approach to any foreign government.

Impeachment is serious business and deserves serious thought, if and only if, conditions are such that justice demands that action. In the entire life of this nation only twice has it been done and both times the targets were not convicted. And both times the decisions were just because the impeachment process was used strictly for political purposes. So far, that is all we would be doing here. Even the cries for it puts politics above the law. And we can’t save the spirit of the law by using the mechanism of the law for a political purpose. No matter how repugnant the target may be.

It is perfectly fine to lose friendships over this President. I have done it and will again. But lose reverence for the law in bringing him down? No, that’s a step too far. And you know it is. Or at least we should. If not, then we are choosing to be just as narcissistic and overbearing and witless as this group. And that could be worse. He can not help himself, but what would be our excuse?

[1] Quick, someone tell him who Earl Warren was.

[2] Though I certainly understand the sentiment