Impeachment support grows
by digby
In a Quinnipiac University poll released early Wednesday, 55 percent of U.S. voters support the impeachment inquiry, a jump of 4 percentage points from Quinnipiac’s previous poll, released just last week, while 43 percent disapprove. For the first time, a plurality of voters, 48 percent, want Trump impeached and removed from office while 46 percent disagree; last week, those numbers were reversed.
There is a wide partisan split in the results, but 58 percent of independents support the House impeachment inquiry and 49 percent want him booted from office, versus 41 percent who don’t. As support for impeaching Trump rose, his job approval number dropped to 38 percent, with disapproval at 58 percent, tied for the lowest net approval of his presidency. In last week’s poll, Trump’s approval rating was 41 percent to 54 percent disapproval.
A brutal 66 percent of women disapprove of Trump’s job performance.
Here’s the partisan breakdown:
In today’s poll, Democrats approve of the inquiry 93 – 7 percent and independent voters approve 58 – 37 percent, while Republicans disapprove of the inquiry 88 – 10 percent. In last week’s poll, Democrats approved of the inquiry 90 – 8 percent, and independents were divided with a 50 – 45 percent approval, and Republicans disapproved 90 – 9 percent.
Reuters-Ipsos shows support surging among Independents as well.But that’s important.
CNN also has a new poll showing only 50% support impeachment, but that’s up substantially from where it was:
According to new CNN/SSRS poll released Tuesday showing support for Trump’s impeachment and removal at 50 percent, a new high. This is up three points since CNN asked the question last month in the days after House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) officially announced the impeachment inquiry; that September poll already saw a six point jump in impeachment support since May. Forty-three percent said they don’t support impeachment in the new poll.
In that poll Republicans are circling the wagon, opposing impeachment in greater numbers than before.
I think the idea that 20 Republicans will cross over and vote for impeachment is a delusional pipe dream. But it’s possible that a few swing-state Senators could nonetheless vote for it if they find that polling in their home state has moved in that direction. But the dynamic is very fluid and I don’t think anyone can predict how it’s going to go.
I remain of the opinion that torturing Trump with rolling revelations and public hearings over the next few months to create a complete record of all of his impeachable offenses is the right strategy. But who knows? Maybe getting this whole unpleasantness over with quickly won’t give him time to bounce back in the polls and eke out a victory in the fall. I sure hope so.
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