If the GOP impeaches Obama......

[JRP1994]

What do you think? Clinton's approval rating peaked at 73% during the impeachment.

[RR1997]

It depends, what is he being impeached for?

[badgate]

RR1997.


Say it's an impeachment like Clinton's. I say he gets above 50%, at least for a while. More importantly though is it severely hardens his support on the left and Democratic turnout for the midterms would be unexpectedly high. However the impeachment would also help Republicans turn out their base, so probably it's a wash, with a slight edge to Democrats because independents will be siding with them.

[Stand With Israel. Crush Hamas]

No way does impeachment happen before the midterms.

But to answer your question, I don't think it goes above 50%. Clinton was seen as a good President being impeached for a personal failing. Obama's ratings are far lower than his, and if he was impeached, it would be over abuse of the executive.

Plus, the public is a lot more polarized than they were then.

[Clarko95 📚💰📈]

It's not going to happen.

[Indy Texas]

It would never get through the Senate. Even if the Republicans get a majority next year, they're not going to have the votes.

[○∙◄☻¥tπ[╪AV┼cVê└]

It would never get through the Senate. Even if the Republicans get a majority next year, they're not going to have the votes.

Impeachment just needs a majority of the House. A majority in the Senate means nothing. Removal from office takes a 2/3rds majority of the Senate.

[King]

Impeachment trials are a good way for the opposition to lay out clearly and concisely how pathetic they are to the American people.

[user12345]

They're not going to impeach him. If they did they would lose the person they blame all the countries problems on.

[Maxwell]

>70%. The GOP would be destroyed in 2016 if they actually were stupid enough to go through with it.

[Orser67]

I'd say about 60 would be the ceiling. Obama would get a bump, but the American public is more polarized now, and a lot of people will never "forgive" him Obamacare

[angus]

>70%.  

What would be the charges, though?  And what would be to gain?  I can't really imagine Obama getting impeached.   It'd be bad for everyone (even for Obama, whose popularity would, at least on paper, go sky high, causing him and supporters to confuse anti-impeachment sentiment for approval of his legacy.)

[○∙◄☻¥tπ[╪AV┼cVê└]

>70%.  

What would be the charges, though?  And what would be to gain?  I can't really imagine Obama getting impeached.   It'd be bad for everyone (even for Obama, whose popularity would, at least on paper, go sky high, causing him and supporters to confuse anti-impeachment sentiment for approval of his legacy.)

The South Dakota Republican party voted to impeach Obama for negotiating the release of a POW and trying to enforce the clean air act. The clean air act was signed into law by Nixon. Maybe that's why he almost got impeached.

But seriously, 20000 Americans die a year from air pollution, and in 2008, the Republicans nominated a POW who cracked for President.

[NewYorkExpress]

I'm tempted to ask if Biden would also be in the "impeachment line" (On one hand the GOP should beat an incumbent Biden, while on the other hand their 2016 looks so weak, that Biden could win in a landslide)

[JerryArkansas]

Really it depends on many factors.  Are scandals plaguing his whitehouse?  Or would it be like Bill clinton in 97 and 98.  IF the first, then it would be below forty, but if the latter, it could go up to 60.  It all depends on optics.  Right now, I think impeachment could pass the house.  I have been keeping up with a whip count, and this is what I have as of now.



Also, not shaded are members of the tea party caucus and liberty caucus, who's members would all vote for it.

[angus]

>70%.  

What would be the charges, though?  And what would be to gain?  I can't really imagine Obama getting impeached.   It'd be bad for everyone (even for Obama, whose popularity would, at least on paper, go sky high, causing him and supporters to confuse anti-impeachment sentiment for approval of his legacy.)

The South Dakota Republican party voted to impeach Obama for negotiating the release of a POW and trying to enforce the clean air act. The clean air act was signed into law by Nixon. Maybe that's why he almost got impeached.

But seriously, 20000 Americans die a year from air pollution, and in 2008, the Republicans nominated a POW who cracked for President.

The Bergdahl release was weirdly handled, but not illegal.  The PPACA is a major problem, but the congress voted for it, and Obama merely signed it into law when it was delivered to his desk.  Renegging on his promise to cancel the Bush tax cuts when they expired was a total pussy move, but it wasn't impeachable.  The spying is horrible, but it falls under the general aegis of the 2008 ACLU vs. NSA Supeme Court decision.  I just don't really see any reason he should be impeached.  He's not perfect, but he hasn't committed any worse crimes than his predecessor.
 
The only illegal thing I can think of is ordering the execution of Osama without trial.  That's basically murder.  It is probably extralegal in the US code, but given the level of animosity toward Osama, I don't think anyone will hold it against Barry.  Other than that, none of the silly stuff Barry has done doesn't really rise to the level of an impeachable offense.  

I can tell you that if he is impeached for any reason, and I get a call from a pollster, then I'm going to answer yes to that pollster's question about approval of Barry, no matter the circumstance.  Moreover, I suppose that many, many others will as well, so I'm sticking with my 70%+ vote.
 

[Never]

>70%.  

What would be the charges, though?  And what would be to gain?  I can't really imagine Obama getting impeached.   It'd be bad for everyone (even for Obama, whose popularity would, at least on paper, go sky high, causing him and supporters to confuse anti-impeachment sentiment for approval of his legacy.)

The South Dakota Republican party voted to impeach Obama for negotiating the release of a POW and trying to enforce the clean air act. The clean air act was signed into law by Nixon. Maybe that's why he almost got impeached.

But seriously, 20000 Americans die a year from air pollution, and in 2008, the Republicans nominated a POW who cracked for President.

The Bergdahl release was weirdly handled, but not illegal.  The PPACA is a major problem, but the congress voted for it, and Obama merely signed it into law when it was delivered to his desk.  Renegging on his promise to cancel the Bush tax cuts when they expired was a total pussy move, but it wasn't impeachable.  The spying is horrible, but it falls under the general aegis of the 2008 ACLU vs. NSA Supeme Court decision.  I just don't really see any reason he should be impeached.  He's not perfect, but he hasn't committed any worse crimes than his predecessor.
 
The only illegal thing I can think of is ordering the execution of Osama without trial.  That's basically murder.  It is probably extralegal in the US code, but given the level of animosity toward Osama, I don't think anyone will hold it against Barry.  Other than that, none of the silly stuff Barry has done doesn't really rise to the level of an impeachable offense.  

I can tell you that if he is impeached for any reason, and I get a call from a pollster, then I'm going to answer yes to that pollster's question about approval of Barry, no matter the circumstance.  Moreover, I suppose that many, many others will as well, so I'm sticking with my 70%+ vote.
 

I agree with you that there is no real reason to impeach Obama as of today, but there is nothing at all, even in theory, that could lead you to tell a pollster that you disapprove of the President in the future?

Anyhow, I'd say that Obama's approval rating would probably depend on what he is getting impeached for. If it is for abuse of executive power or some major scandal, his approval would probably dip to below 30%. If it is for something slippery like the personal issues surrounding Bill Clinton's impeachment, Obama's approval rating would probably surge to 55-60%.

[pbrower2a]

Republicans will show how weak their case is. High crimes and misdemeanors? What crimes or misdemeanors? In theory the Republicans can impeach the President for a badly-tied cravat.

They will also show how weak their appeal is. They will make fools of themselves.   

[angus]

I agree with you that there is no real reason to impeach Obama as of today, but there is nothing at all, even in theory, that could lead you to tell a pollster that you disapprove of the President in the future?

Oh, maybe.  I don't know.  I do know that there is no good reason to impeach Obama.  If they try to do it, I'll probably assume that it is politically motivated.  Moreover, the impeachment of a sitting US president shouldn't be taken lightly, and probably does more damage to the country than just about anything that the president did.  Frankly I don't think that Johnson or Clinton did anything particularly horrible, and I'm glad that they were acquitted.  I assume that Obama would be acquitted as well, and that any effort to impeach him will look worse than anything he did.

As has been pointed out, they will simply make fools of themselves.  More importantly, they will be making fools of all of us, and that is the reason I'd probably tell a pollster that Obama is the greatest thing since sliced white bread.  Just to spite the fools who impeach him.

[Never]

I agree with you that there is no real reason to impeach Obama as of today, but there is nothing at all, even in theory, that could lead you to tell a pollster that you disapprove of the President in the future?

Oh, maybe.  I don't know.  I do know that there is no good reason to impeach Obama.  If they try to do it, I'll probably assume that it is politically motivated.  Moreover, the impeachment of a sitting US president shouldn't be taken lightly, and probably does more damage to the country than just about anything that the president did.  Frankly I don't think that Johnson or Clinton did anything particularly horrible, and I'm glad that they were acquitted.  I assume that Obama would be acquitted as well, and that any effort to impeach him will look worse than anything he did.

As has been pointed out, they will simply make fools of themselves.  More importantly, they will be making fools of all of us, and that is the reason I'd probably tell a pollster that Obama is the greatest thing since sliced white bread.  Just to spite the fools who impeach him.

Thanks for responding. In the light that you've put it, I think I understand why feel impeachment of the President would probably damage the country. And yes, impeachment proceedings generally weaken the position of Congress.

Typically, if I were a representative, I would vote against impeaching Obama, and if I were a senator, I'd probably vote to acquit him. I would have done the same for Johnson and Clinton. My main exception to this would be if the justification for impeaching were as strong as say, the case that would have been brought against Nixon if he had remained in office instead of resigning.

[Suburbia]

Most likely his approval will be 55% IMO.

[TDAS04]

It would probably be >60%.