The Dems in the House should impeach Trump if, and only if, not convicting him will cost the GOP the senate.

This line of realpolitik is essentially relevant for a first-term president. There is an election coming soon enough, and the only question the Democrats need to ask themselves is whether the GOP senators can acquit Trump and hold their majority. That depends entirely on the sentiment of the electorate regarding the grounds for impeachment.

Elections must have consequences, or they won’t matter. Relitigation of election results is a very, very dangerous precedent. Impeachment must not be perceived as an attempt to unseat an unpopular president, even one about whom the electorate has palpable buyers’ remorse. We need to be stuck with this bozo for four years unless his own party disowns him. That is how we know the impeachment is not just a mulligan. There simply is no other credible evidence.

Of course, we should feel free to treat GOP senators with the disrespect they deserve for supporting this awful man. These are despicable human beings — cowards, weasels, liars, hypocrites, scumbags, and, most of all, embarrassments, this last because we elected them knowing all about them. But they will be the government we deserve until we prove we elect better. Thus, the way to get rid of Trump is not to impeach him, but to challenge the GOP senators who won’t convict him.

Just ask each of them a simple question: “Do you believe Donald Trump is a better President than Bill Weld would be?” Then watch them sputter.