High-profile Democrats can’t resist the notion that somehow they will impeach President Trump and return the nation to, oh, 2008 or so.

The liberal media, of course, is complicit in this impeachment fixation and fantasy, offering nonstop news coverage, deftly packaged to make impeachment appear to be a done deal. Simply deploy the notorious “I-word” — and voila. Journalists believe they can suggest Mr. Trump will leave office amid mysterious “proceedings” and strategically manipulated press narratives. Or something.

The prospect of impeachment is also a convenient device to distract the public from Trump administration positives — from the nation’s healthy economy to unprecedented job creation. Some observers say Democratic obsession with impeachment is a reflection of their own panic that Mr. Trump is going to win in 2020 — but that is another story.

Meanwhile, the reality: Democrats and media are overlooking public opinion. Polls have confirmed for months that Americans are not interested in impeaching the president.

A CNN survey released in May found that 54% of Americans said Mr. Trump should not be impeached. A Rasmussen Reports survey released a month later revealed that only 9% of Americans expected impeachment to happen. In August, a Politico/Morning Consult poll found that 52% of all voters said Congress should not stage impeachment proceedings; 90% of Republicans, 49% of independents and 19% of Democrats agreed.

Last week, a Monmouth University poll finds that six-out-of-10 voters condemned impeachment while 52% agreed the House Judiciary Committee inquiry into the process is a “bad idea.”

Their reasons for that? The poll found that 27% said Mr. Trump has done nothing wrong, 22% said it would be a waste of time and money, 13% dismissed it as a partisan “witch hunt” while 12% complained that Congress should be working on other issues. Others felt that it was too late in Mr. Trump’s term of office to even start the process and that there was “no point” because the Senate would not vote to remove the president.

One high-profile analyst summed things up in a tidy way following special investigator Robert Mueller’s testimony before Congress earlier this summer.

“Impeachment is over,” noted ABC veteran correspondent Terry Moran.

THE POMPEO EFFECT

The lasting and productive tenure of Secretary of State Mike Pompeo likely annoys and mystifies the news media. Perhaps this longevity has been influenced by his unwavering sense of America’s place on the planet.

“When President Trump came into office, people were confused that President Obama had traveled much of the globe apologizing for many of the things America had done around the world in the past,” Mr. Pompeo told The Daily Signal, a news site associated with The Heritage Foundation.

“I and President Trump have a very different take. Every place we go, America is a force for good. I believe that with all my heart. We don’t always get it right. Not always perfect. But our efforts are noble and important, and we try to make America secure and at the same time improve the lives of people in every country to improve their capacity for freedom and liberty in their own nation,” Mr. Pompeo said.

“When you exert America’s influence around the world in a way that is reflective of our country and its founding ideas of individual liberty and freedom, and a sense each nation has its own sovereign right to make decisions for itself, we’re going to do things that are best for the American people,” he observed.

INTRODUCING CPAC WEST

A new conservative entity arrives this weekend. That would be CPAC West, introduced by the American Conservative Union and the Morning in Nevada political action committee. There’s a day-long strategy conference in Reno, Nevada on Friday, to be followed Saturday by the 5th Annual annual Basque Fry on the Corley Ranch in nearby Gardenville. There’s also a prime directive at work.

“The heavy hand of government and the terrible policies of the left have destroyed the lives of Californians. And now left-wing hordes are trying to take over Arizona, Colorado, Nevada and the other western states that previously served as the heart of Ronald Reagan’s political base. We must make the West great again,” the organizers advise.

The speaker’s lineup includes American Conservative Union chairman Matt Schlapp; Mercedes Schlapp, senior advisor to President Trump’s re-election campaign; former Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke; acting White House chief of staff Mick Mulvaney; possible U.S. Senate hopeful Corey Lewandowski and former acting U.S. Attorney General Matthew Whitaker.

NIGHTSTAND READING

Fiction stranger than truth, perhaps? Arriving Friday from author Remso W. Martinez, social media coordinator for The Washington Times: “How to Succeed in Politics (And Other Forms of Devil Worship),” historical fiction which taps into the political world of George Wallace’s day. It explores the outer boundaries of campaign operatives — and how far they go for a win.

“I needed the apolitical reader to know that some things, in reality, are stranger than fiction,” Mr. Martinez explains.

The book is available Friday in print, via Kindle at Amazon, and on the Barnes & Noble site.

WEEKEND REAL ESTATE

For sale: Timber Creek Lodge, the largest custom log home in the South built in 2007 on 1,246 acres in Okaloosa County, Florida. Eight bedrooms, 10 bathrooms, 2,000-square-foot living room with 40-foot ceilings and custom elk antler chandelier, custom carved entry door, multiple gathering rooms, furniture included; 25,000 square feet. Extravagant woodwork and stone features, stone-lined wine cellar, balcony, media room, 22-car garage, three stocked fishing ponds. Much more. Priced at $9.5 million through JonKohler.com; find the grand home here.

POLL DU JOUR

• 69% of U.S. military combat veterans say the experiences made them feel closer to those who fought alongside them.

• 67% say their experience showed them they were “stronger than they thought they were.”

• 56% say their combat experience changed their priorities about what is important

• 44% say combat experiences say deployments had a positive impact on their financial situation.

• 40% say their experiences strengthened their religious faith.

Source: A Pew Research Center survey of 1,284 U.S. military vets conducted May 14-June 3, and released Tuesday.

• Kindly follow Jennifer Harper on Twitter @HarperBulletin.

Sign up for Daily Newsletters Manage Newsletters

Copyright © 2020 The Washington Times, LLC. Click here for reprint permission.