Crime vs. Popularity: The Presidency

Managing government in a country, where the opinions of the public count can get very complicated.  America's Constitution gives us some guidelines.  But, so does history.  As to history: I'd like to remind my readers of three historical incidents:  The election where JFK beat Nixon.  Our entry into the Vietnam War.  And, the aura that surrounds a president.

The current motto of Democrats like Hillary Clinton is Resist.  She won the popular vote (thanks to California), but Comey's release of Hillary's tapes and hacking by the Russians all favored the ultimate victory by Donald Trump.  Now the Democrats feel they must resist Trump by all means.

However, the victory of JFK over Nixon was also the result of a very, very close election.  It was alleged that LBJ's control over the political machinery in his state and his shady manipulation of that machinery delivered Texas to JFK.  It is further alleged that the truckers union in Chicago illegally delivered Illinois to JFK.  These two wins made possible JFK's win over Nixon.

Nixon was urged to challenge the results of that election.  However, he felt that close elections were something that happens and it would harm the nation for him to now challenge the results. Today things are apparently quite different.

Popularity does make a difference.  You commonly hear that we should never get into a shooting war.  We shouldn't have gone into Vietnam.  We shouldn't have fought in Korea.  We shouldn't have taken out Saddam Hussein.  We shouldn't have meddled in Afghanistan.  The only except in recent history was WW II.

And, if you go by our Constitution, only the Senate can declare a war.  But, that's a rule often disregarded.  The Korean War was a "police action."  (I feel it was a necessary war, but that's just my opinion).  I believe our war in Vietnam wasn't declared until much after the fact.  (The Gulf of Tonkin Resolution).  But, even though today most everyone agrees we should never have taken over from the French colonial power in Vietnam, few bother asking how and why we did.  David Halberstam answers this question in his excellent book, "The Best And The Brightest." a book that was once a best seller, but is now mostly forgotten.  If you're popular that's what happens.

As for the Camelot period:  How does that jibe with JFK's infidelities with regard to his wife?
I guess it's popularity.

And, now we come to Trump.  My goodness, how the Democrats would love to impeach him.  They have just one problem.  No one can point to a crime.  Talking to the Russians is not crime, unless, like Flynn, you lie about it.  Even discussing elections with the Russians is not crime, unless you actually suggest that they do such and such.  Firing the head of the FBI is not crime.  Asking people at the FBI or CIA to down peddle an investigation is no crime unless a grand jury has been impanelled to investigate you, which in this case had not happened.

The Senate has been investigating.  The House has been investigating.  The FBI investigated.  The CIA investigated.  Result: nothing.  Or, should I say, "Until now, nothing."  But hope springs eternal.  Maybe, just around the corner, someone might actually find a crime.  In the meantime, the Democrats enjoy the continuing process of investigating Trump.  They suggest that where there's smoke there must be a fire.  That's somewhat disingenuous when it's the Democrats blowing the smoke.