Timing the Punch

t seems like there’s a contest going on among Democratic presidential hopefuls as to who uses the I-word and how often. The ”I”, of course, stands for impeachment. Should the Democrats simply focus on turning Donald Trump out of office next year, or go down the impeachment road now and risk not only diverting attention from governing, but also a devastating loss of face if the effort fails, paving the way for Trump’s re-election?

We are all drawn back to Watergate days and how similar this time seems to that. But it was different in one critical respect. The Watergate fallout unfolded early in Richard Nixon’s last term. It took a full two years to make the case for impeaching him, plus, there was the much-referenced smoking gun in Nixon’s own words on tape. The current situation is happening late in President Trump’s first term. Is there time to build an impeachment case against him before next year’s election?

I’m reminded of a professional boxer I used to see on TV years ago. He wasn’t a Muhammad Ali. His style wasn’t pretty; he lumbered ungracefully around the ring. But he had a devastating right-hand punch. The thing is, he rarely threw it. Few opponents survived the match when he did, but all were afraid of it and kept a respectful distance. This boxer knew he could be patient and wait for the right time to throw it.

If the impeachment “punch” were thrown today, it’s a given that it would fail. In spite of what’s already on the record in the case of this President, the votes just aren’t there in the Senate for it to succeed. But the vote isn’t being taken today. It doesn’t have to mean, however,  that impeachment is off the table. Opponents of Trump can continue building a case, not only for the Senate, but for the court of public opinion. It has to be so overwhelming a case that Trump supporters finally realize the game is up.

Now for a little metaphor mix. In my garage there are a lot of tools. Most were there long before I moved in to this house. I am not especially handy, but if a fix-it problem comes up, I am pretty confident that I can find something in the garage that will help me solve it. There are some tools I have used rarely, only once or twice. But I’m grateful they are there and that my in-laws, who were here before me, collected them. Impeachment is like one of those tools, or to return to the original metaphor here, that feared right-hand punch that is still available when – and if – it’s time to throw it.