Democrats squabbling over how to contain Trump after Election Day
The interesting thing here is that the fight over impeachment is happening before the votes are even counted. Democrats are arguing about what to do with a president they expect to have weakened, and the split seems to be between those who see another impeachment as a moral necessity and those who see it as a political liability. Both sides have a point, which is what makes this so tricky.
I think the strategic question is real. If Democrats win big, they'll have a mandate, but that mandate might be for fixing health care or the economy, not for relitigating the last impeachment. On the other hand, if they ignore Trump's conduct entirely, they risk looking like they're letting him off the hook. The party's base is probably not going to be patient with a cautious approach, and that's a pressure that can't be ignored.
What I'd want to know is whether the leaders pushing for impeachment actually believe it can succeed, or whether they see it as a symbolic stand. That distinction matters, because a failed impeachment attempt could energize Trump's supporters just as much as a successful one would. The whole thing feels like a party trying to figure out how to govern and prosecute at the same time, and that's a hard balance to strike.