… Previous impeachment efforts show that public opinion, however entrenched it may seem, does move as Americans tune into the debate in Washington.
When Republicans impeached President Clinton, public opinion started out divided. But by the time the House voted to impeach, in December 1998, Americans had reached a verdict: Only about 30% favored removing him from office, even though a large majority thought he was guilty of having lied about his sexual encounters with Monica Lewinsky, a White House intern.
In the case of Richard Nixon, public opinion moved the other way. But it shifted slowly. …
History suggests that even if the case for impeachment seems clear to many House Democrats, they will need to fully air the case for the public if they want to rally a majority of the country to their side. CONT.
David Lauter, Los Angeles Times