Brian, there is a documentary series called, "The Family" that provides a bit of insight on that line of thinking that this President is doing the lord's work. You can find it on Netflix if you are inclined. The logic being that a strong, ruthless wolf is the best leader for the flock of sheep in the same vein as King David. I shouldn't be surprised because when has religion ever had trouble twisting logic back on itself, but stuff like this is truly asinine.

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I'm guessing you weren't following the thread, Matt.  We were discussing what approach the Democrats in the House should take toward the impeachment inquiry.  I was arguing that they should draw it out through the next year and do wide-ranging inquiries into Trump's criminality.  I used the endless Benghazi investigations by the Republicans (which were based on a giant pile of nothing) as an example of the damage that could be done to Trump by such an investigation.  Other folks argued that the Benghazi investigations didn't have much effect as part of their argument that the impeachment inquiry should wrap up quickly and only related to the Ukraine issue.

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Trump supporters exist.  You describe them well.  I know a few, it sounds like fewer than you do.  I wasn't talking about Trump supporters in that post.  I was talking about people who voted for Trump in 2016 who aren't part of his camp.  We're not going to get the members of the camp to not vote for him.  As I said, they froth at the mouth.  He wasn't wrong, he could shoot somebody in broad daylight and they still vote for him.

I was talking about people I know who voted for Trump in 2016 but did it for other reasons.  Most of the people I know (having lived in red states the last ten years) were troubled by the last election.  A lot of them held their nose and voted Trump or straight Republican ticket.  Some of them left the president blank and voted in other races.  I know a few lifelong Republicans who actually voted for Clinton.

The people who voted for Trump last time but aren't drinking the Kool-Aid are the ones we can potentially reach and at least get to stay home this time, if not vote Democrat.

Ah.  Forgive me!  In that light, I agree with you, Steve.  I think this investigation should go right up to October 2020.  I think Pod Save America has it right:  this is a story and has to be carefully crafted.  Use the power of impeachment to dig into what are certainly other improprieties and reveal them throughout the next year.  I don't want this to wind up by Thanksgiving, allowing Trump and his cronies to spin a different tale for a year before the elections.  

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If those people haven't already been turned off by Trump's conduct as President, I'm not sure the lengthy impeachment hearings that you suggest will change their minds. To a certain extent, Trump's corruption has already been normalized. Reminding people of that by going after everything will just make people think, "Well, the country's been moving along despite all this, so maybe it's not that bad." The Ukraine thing needs to be painted as so singularly egregious (because it is) that there is no other option but to impeach.

If those people haven't already been turned off by Trump's conduct as President, I'm not sure the lengthy impeachment hearings that you suggest will change their minds.

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Its not a question of them being 'turned off'.  The people we're talking about were never turned on.  These are people who were in the situation of either voting for Trump, Clinton, or neither.  And they made a decision.  Many of them unenthusiastically.  Barring removal from office, in 2020 they will find themselves with another decision to make, to vote for Trump, a Democratic nominee, or neither.

For someone who voted for Trump thinking he was the lesser of two evils, then yes, every evil we can heap on his side of the scale will help.  We may not get that person to vote for the Democratic nominee, but we may well get them to just not vote for President.

As the polling and exit-polling in 2016 showed if the people too embarrassed to admit they voted for Trump don't vote for him this time, he'll lose even if the Democratic nominee only gets Clinton's votes in significant states.

Do you really think that everyone who voted for Trump in 2016 was an enthusiastic supporter and still is?

But if the rumor is true, that Biden's son received millions from Ukranian and Chinese companies in attempt to buy his Biden's favor, that's something that just about anyone can understand. A politician who says he wants to do good, and does even better for himself and his kids.