OPINION:
Forty-five percent of self-identified independent voters said in a survey conducted this week by Emerson College that they’re against impeachment of this president — and that’s after a Marquette University poll a conducted couple days earlier found 53 percent of Wisconsin voters want Donald Trump to stay.
The takeaway? Voters are tired of impeachment. They’re sending the message, loud and clear: It’s time to heal.
It’s time to move on, to bridge the great national divide.
“November National Poll: Support for Impeachment Declines,” Emerson Polling’s headline blared.
Trump’s approval rating over the past weeks jumped to 48%; that’s up from last month’s 43% in the same Emerson survey.
Meanwhile: “Support for impeachment has flipped since October from 48% support with 44% opposing to now 45% opposed and 43% in support,” Emerson reported.
Marquette University Law School’s survey, conducted November 13 through November 17, found an even greater opposition to impeachment.
“Forty percent of registered voters think that Trump should be impeached and removed from office, while 53 percent do not think so and 6 percent say that they do not know,” Marquette wrote. And most significant about this poll is this: “[A] plurality of independents opposed.” By the numbers: 81% of Democrats want Trump impeached and removed versus 4% Republicans; 36% of independents want Trump impeached and removed, compared to 47% of independents who do not.
That’s a large shift of independent-minded opinion.
And given as it comes amid wall-to-wall House Intelligence Committee televised hearings on impeachment, it’s a shift that shouldn’t be discounted. If Democrats were banking on boosting their ballots based on impeach, impeach, impeach — they might have a problem.
Gallup, in October, found 39% of voters consider themselves independents, versus Republican or Democrat. Pew Research Center, in May, put that statistic at 38%.
But here’s the interesting part: Pew said of that 38%, only 7% didn’t lean toward either of the two main political parties. Of the remaining, 13% leaned Republican — and 17%, Democrat.
So that means the largest share of independents lean Democrat.
So that means the largest share of independents voicing opposition to impeachment and removal of this president are actually Democrat voters.
So that means: Adam Schiff is overplaying his hand. Nancy Pelosi is making a strategic political mistake. Democrats are overstaying their impeachment welcome. The left has gone too far left with its quest for Trump’s head.
After three years of impeachment calls, after witness after witness after witness of impeachment inquiry testimony, the country’s ready for healing — hungry for healing. And by country, that means Republicans and yes, many Democrats, alike.
• Cheryl Chumley can be reached at cchumley@washingtontimes.com or on Twitter, @ckchumley.
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