George Graham

The Impeachment Election

refugees

 

You might think the November election has nothing to do with the President. Whoever wins, he still has two years to serve. But does he really? Don’t bet on it.

It’s becoming clear that if the Republicans win the Senate and keep the House, President Obama will be impeached.

Of course he has committed no impeachable offense. But that does not matter.

To the Republican base, his offense is being President while black. And nothing he does can change that.

They have invented various reasons to make his presidency illegitimate,  that bogus birth certificate story, for example. But in their heart of hearts, they must know they just can’t tolerate the idea of a black man in the White House.

You might think I’m exaggerating, that Americans have evolved beyond the Jim Crow era, but you would be mistaken. Racism is alive and rampant in this country.

Not among all Americans, of course. And not even among most Americans. But it infects enough people to make a huge impact on the political scene.

Unfortunately, the generally tolerant American majority is not much interested in politics. It’s the fringe groups that care enough to get involved. (And the special interests, of course, but that’s a separate issue.)

This is especially true today among Republicans.

And Republican politicians recognize this. They know they dare not ignore the crazies for fear of facing opposition – fierce opposition – in the primaries.

The racist element has existed in America for generations, and election of the first black President fanned its flames into a wildfire. If you doubt the extent of the phenomenon, just take a look at the hate-filled crowds waving American flags and shouting curses at those refugee children in California (photo above).

Do you think for a moment the reaction would be the same if they were little blonde-haired, blue-eyed darlings  from Sweden?

The President is safe from bogus impeachment charges as long as his party controls the Senate. The Republicans know impeachment proceedings would get nowhere in this Congress, so they have to settle for a frivolous lawsuit against him.

But, trust me, the moment they get control of Congress, impeachment proceedings will begin.

If you thought this election was less consequential because the President is not on the ballot, think again. He is.

 Click for more on impeachment.

Click for more on opposition to the child refugees.

About the author

gwgraeme

I am a Jamaican-born writer who has lived and worked in Canada and the United States. I live in Lakeland, Florida with my wife, Sandra, our three cats and two dogs. I like to play golf and enjoy our garden, even though it's a lot of work. Since retiring from newspaper reporting I've written a few books. I also write a monthly column for Jamaicans.com