POLITICO Playbook: What Pelosi is telling vulnerable Dems about impeachment

[Dennis Donovan]

https://www.politico.com/newsletters/playbook/2019/09/30/what-pelosi-is-telling-vulnerable-dems-about-impeachment-483041?cid=su_tw_pb

By ANNA PALMER and JAKE SHERMAN 09/30/2019 05:57 AM EDT

It’s not about President DONALD TRUMP; it’s about the Constitution. That’s the message Speaker NANCY PELOSI wants House Democrats to remember as they gear up for what will be a key week in their march to impeachment. “We have to proceed with our hearts full of love for America and our hearts full of love for the Constitution. And not with negative attitudes towards him, but a positive attitude towards our responsibility,” she said on a conference call with House Democrats on Sunday.

“The polls have changed drastically about this,” Pelosi added, pointing to numbers showing that support for impeachment has surged since her announcement.

THE CALL underscored the tricky position Democrats, particularly those in districts that Trump won in 2016, are in as they move to sell the impeachment inquiry over the two-week recess. It also comes amid growing frustration among many Democrats over inconsistent messaging about how to talk about impeachment.

THE DEM STRATEGY … SARAH FERRIS and ANDREW DESIDERIO: “Illinois Rep. Cheri Bustos, who leads House Democrats’ campaign arm, advised the caucus’s most vulnerable members to gauge support and test their message through the use of polling in their respective districts — surveys that the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee would help fund, according to multiple people on the call. She also said the campaign arm could deploy digital ads in the future.

“Bustos also shared the results of the DCCC’s first poll focused on impeachment since Pelosi formalized an inquiry last week. The poll found that 54 percent of likely voters support the Democrats’ inquiry, according to a summary obtained by POLITICO.

“Top Democrats used Sunday’s conference call to formalize their caucus’s messaging operation on impeachment with more focused talking points. It came after leaders faced blowback from some lawmakers, particularly those from swing districts, over past messaging stumbles.

</snip>

I predict we'll see poll numbers climb with every revelation that comes out.

[jcgoldie]

1. I hope you are right but even if the number stays at 54%...

That still almost exactly matches Trump's disapproval number so impeachment would be a political push at worst.

[Newest Reality]

2. I agree with your prediction!

Let's all stay on message and go with process over contents, response over actions. Putting aside the deliberately evoked emotions and staying with the facts of truth and law is going to be our sledge hammer, together.

In this process, we will become a stronger more precise force and spend more time learning about the tactics of our opponents rather than even looking at the bones they are throwing out to distract and deflect. We have to. It is not an option any longer, it is a necessity. Our country is most certainly at stake and what more motivation do we need now?

Truth, facts, law, preservation, not politics, partisanship and streams of fallacies portrayed as relevant and justified.

[empedocles]

3. Yes. The week's numbers alone should make for an interesting week of commentary.

And, the Speaker knows more than she reveals.

[The Speaker's problem is not with the Dems who flipped trump district seats - it's some of the loud lightweights on the other end of the Dem spectrum].