The Trump impeachment equation seems to go something like this: Wild-eyed Democrat zealots and all of major media are resolute in ousting Trump by any means. Stern-faced Republicans, a mash-up of capitalist and evangelicals, are aggressively defending Trump primarily because of the first group.
Meanwhile, the vast majority of people (including leaders in many other sectors) are terrified both of an increasingly unhinged Trump administration and the moonbeam socialist posing as most of the Democrat presidential candidates. If your team is either party named in the first paragraph, you can leave now.
I’d suggest that a 3rd way may would help avoid being sucked into the inevitability of unprecedented constitutional crisis or worse, civil war. I’ve said before that it is the Democrats prerogative to hold an impeachment trial however flawed their motives are. It’s essential to get it out of their system. On the other hand, the factions driving that mess hardly deserve to govern.
I think Bloomberg, if he decides to run, offers a chance to move the country back from the partisan cliff. I know he’s a Democrat, he was also a Republican, I know he’s fairly liberal, but he’s nowhere in the same league as the sullied mess that are now running. Even Buttlegeig with his middle America fresh face makes me uncomfortable with some of his proposals. Bloomberg is old school. When he ran NYC, the trains ran on time. To the extent that a backlash to Trump is inevitable, Bloomberg short circuits that inevitability. Otherwise we’ll be left with the Warren-Bernie-AOC axis, AOC being the soon-to-be torch bearer. I doubt America could survive that chapter.
I still say Trump will not survive both impeachment and/or a general election. While Pence could carry his standard with more integrity, he will be too tarred by the Trump administration to not be swept out as well. His natural constituency is smaller than Trump’s and not all of Trump’s people would follow him. If Trump resigned tomorrow and Pence took over, I doubt Pence would have time to consolidate a broader base in time for the general election. Removing Trump any way other than an election will kick off a generation of war, either overt or covertly. Let the Dems hold their trial, let the Senate do whatever they’re going to do, and then hold the election.