427 members of the House of Representatives voted to either pass or reject the two Articles of Impeachment regarding Donald Trump. While I don't agree with the way many voted (mainly Republicans), I have to give them credit for taking a stand.Their constituents sent them to Congress to vote on important issues, and no issue was more important this year than whether to impeach Trump or not.
Sadly, there was one member of the House of Representatives that refused to take a stand. Tulsi Gabbard of Hawaii voted "present". She refused to vote either for or against either Article of Impeachment.
Gabbard tried to justify her refusal to take a stand on impeachment by saying:
"I am standing in the center and have decided to vote Present. I could not in good conscience vote against impeachment because I believe President Trump is guilty of wrongdoing. I also could not in good conscience vote for impeachment because removal of a sitting President must not be the culmination of a partisan process, fueled by tribal animosities that have so gravely divided our country."
That's bullshit! If Trump is guilty of wrongdoing (as she admitted), then she should have voted to impeach him -- regardless of the partisan way in which the Republicans voted to defend Trump. Most votes in the House recently have been on a partisan basis. To use her "logic", she would need to vote "present" on nearly everything.
She is running for the Democratic presidential nomination. It's unlikely she could win (getting only 15 to 3% in any poll), but this incredible stand on impeachment is not going to help her. It would not surprise me if she lost even the tiny support that she has. Democrats want a candidate not afraid to take a stand, and to fight the Republicans when they are wrong.
Gabbard's nonvote just embarrassed herself, her state, and her party -- and showed Democratic voters she does not deserve to be their candidate (for president or anything else).
