Hopelessly Liberal first posted a week after last November’s election. (HL1)  It was conceived and has operated as a survival guide to the Trump presidency.  We predicted in HL 7 and 21 that Trump would be out of office in less than three years through operation of one of the constitutional extraction mechanisms discussed in HL 21 or through resignation.

The liberal and liberal arts prescription for crises of this dimension (with the Civil and Second World wars and possibly 9/11 seemingly analogous) is to think and reason regularly and rigorously about them.  While they are happening, so that each day we face the challenge and assist in overcoming it.  HL 1 and 2 cautioned not to emulate Trump and understand that not every defeat he suffered would be a gain.  HL 3 and 4 exhorted and predicted that the permanent federal work force and state and local government would buffer the buffoon.  That has happened faster and to a greater degree than anticipated with the state attorneys general, Sally Yates, Judge Robart and other jurists, and the moderately liberal governors in California and New York contributing significantly, as discussed in various HL posts and specifically HL 12 and 19.

Frederick Douglas

Yes, he who thought (out loud) the job would be easier yet is sure his leadership would have avoided the Civil War, perhaps with help from Frederick Douglas, who is doing “an amazing job,” you are a buffoon.

Personal responsibility and actions for liberals were discussed in HL 5, 9, 17 and 27.  It was specifically recommended that we contribute our imminent tax cuts to organizations where our hearts, mouths and consciences are, with an approving nod to the Southern Poverty Law Center and the ACLU.  The latter organization was chastised in HL 25 for not sticking to its core apolitical mission.  Others including Donna Brazile (HL 9), Preet Bharara (HL 24) and Jon Ossoff (HL 31) to name three, were criticized for various Trump-related activities that are counterproductive.

Chuck Schumer

Advice to public officials, possibly heard, was freely rendered and in one case repeated face to face.  In HL 18 we reminded Chuck Schumer of his “Hamlet moment” requiring him to rally a filibuster of the Gorsuch nomination to SCOTUS.  Conventional wisdom said that this would be an empty and harmful step, since Mitch McConnell would invoke the nuclear option and Gorsuch would be confirmed by a simple majority vote.  And that happened, but the discipline among the Democrats soon paid off in the ObamaCare battle and Republican capitulation on the five month stopgap continuing resolution.

Mike Pence

And in the early HL 7 titled “What Some Wish For” we cautioned that a Mike Pence presidency might be a whole lot worse.  But in just 103 days the folly of that caution has been demonstrated.  While Pence is every bit the true reactionary and social conservative Trump is not (if Trump even understands their goals) the damage daily done to the American mission and dream by Trump, as “distilled” in HL 33 is so severe and dangerous that the goal of this liberal is working to lawfully end his presidency at the earliest possible date.  Therefore, going beyond our prediction of a knockout in round 3, we propose actively working toward the invocation and perfection of the impeachment and trial mechanisms in Articles I, II and III, the removal mechanisms of Amendment 25 and relentless protest, resistance and pressure potentially sufficient for Trump to do the Nixon Thing.

Constant careful thought and analysis followed by action will be required to achieve the desired result.  HL promises to do its part.