Conventional wisdom holds that the Republican Party suffered a big political penalty for impeaching Bill Clinton in 1998. But that’s not quite right. Republicans paid a modest, short-term penalty, while the costs to the Democratic Party appear to have been larger and longer-lasting. …
Two decades ago, the Republicans’ decision to impeach Clinton focused the country’s attention on his behavior rather than on the economy or their own unpopular policies. The same dynamic could easily repeat itself in the coming months: Talking about Trump and Ukraine is certainly better for Democrats than talking about a ban on private health insurance.
Since House Democrats announced their impeachment inquiry three weeks ago, there has been a lot of hand-wringing about the potential downsides. But Democrats should move forward with confidence. They are doing the right thing on principle — as well as following the path that has the best chance of political success. CONT.
David Leonhardt, New York Times