Impeachment...the Early Days

Just back from Hawaii and although we tried mightily, it was sort of difficult to ignore the whole impeachment fiasco that reared it's ugly head last week.  Of course it was everywhere on the news and the Internet, but we tried to keep the TV turned to places where we wouldn't get bombarded with it.  But it was difficult.

So even though I've not paid incredibly close attention, I have read and watched several sources today that shed some light.  Since impeachment is all encompassing on cable news and the Internet, it wasn't particularly difficult to get up to speed.  At least up to speed with the opinion that whatever and whoever you are watching.  It has struck me that when someone says they are up to speed on something in the news, that they are only as up to speed as the source they are watching wants them to be.  They are no longer providing information.  They are shaping minds.  And they know it and don't care.  Period.

But given my inclinations, I have formed a few opinions.  They are initial and maybe will change, but so far this is my take:

1. Trump had a normal head-of-state call with the new President of Ukraine.  According to the transcripts at some point they got into a discussion about Biden and his son and potential corruption.  It's known that the Ukrainians got rid of a prosecutor who was investigating these shenanigans and so Trump asked the President to look into it.  Rudy Giuliani was on the call.  
1. This could be interpreted as asking the Ukrainian President to help dig up dirt on Biden to Trump's advantage in the 2020 election.
2. Or it could be that Trump thought the Biden's skated from a serious corruption charge and wanted them held accountable.
2. These kinds of conversations happen all the time.  I'm as positive as can be that if every President's phone calls were evaluated by a partisan on the other side they would be found wanting.  There are likely a lot of things that are discussed that would be seen as appalling.  So the outrage here is tiring and stupid.  But it is what it is.
3. A "whistleblower" heard about this second and third hand and decided to report it.  The word is that he is a partisan who is against Trump.  There are a lot of details here such as the quality of the paper presented or the changing of the rules recently to allow second hand observations, but the bottom line is that the Congress now has it.
4. Based on no evidence Pelosi caved to the progressive left and ordered an impeachment inquiry.  
5. The piling on began and has not abated.  
6. Trump came out swinging (as did Giuliani) and went after his critics.  Hard.  After watching him for almost 3 years, that is no surprise.
7. There have been and will be more hearings held by the House Intelligence Committee.  Because the committee leader is largely seen as the partisan person in the House, many see this as nothing more than a witch hunt.
8. Most of the House members have made up their minds (no matter what they say).  The Dems are against him and most Republicans will not vote for impeachment.  At least today.  So the assumption is that it'll go to the Senate for trial.
9. It will be a fiasco.  But think about this.  The law of unintended consequences.  The President has some very, very smart lawyers.  During that trial they can open a huge can of worms and call a lot of witnesses who will have to testify under oath about the events of the last 3 years.  
10. The game changer is the media.  If they continue to tell a biased and one sided story, they could could change a lot of minds.  And they know it.  I've heard it said that there are Trump supporters and Trump voters.  Supporters will stick.  Voters can be wobbly.  (I'm more of a voter than a supporter, but I don't think I'll be wobbly on this one)  That is who the media are going after.  If they can create doubt, then they can influence the outcome.  
11. It's hard to imagine 67 votes to impeach in the Senate.  But you never know.  If he goes to impeachment trial and stays President, he will be hurt.  But how much?  Hard to tell.  If he's removed, well then the whole thing is blown wide open.