Is Mike Pompeo tainted by Trump impeachment inquiry? What Kansas Republicans say
Polls didn’t see Donald Trump coming in 2016. Nor do they see him leaving anytime soon.
Why should we think Mike Pompeo’s future is any clearer than that?
Truth is, as much as some on the national scene would love to start writing a political obituary for the U.S. Secretary of State from Kansas — as they do for any Republican or conservative at the drop of a hat — I don’t detect any wavering of support among Republicans here for Pompeo, or for his much-conjectured resignation and potential run for U.S. Senate from Kansas.
Republicans understandably have been wholly unimpressed with the Democrats’ politically tainted impeachment “inquiry,” which follows the expensive and expansive Mueller nothingburger. But support for impeachment has even slipped among independents as of late, according to several new polls.
So, even with his involvement in the dreaded Ukraine phone call, it’s hard to say how much of a stain there will really be, and how much of it will rub off on Pompeo.
So far, I just don’t see it. And neither do Republicans and conservatives of note here.
“Considering the impeachment process has been viewed as a generally partisan operation by Republican voters,” conservative KCMO radio morning host Pete Mundo says, “it’s unlikely that the recent testimony against Pompeo would have any substantial impact in a primary, especially given how crowded the field remains.
“In a general, considering the president won the state by 20-plus points in 2016, if Pompeo were on thin ice in this race, it would be a sign of a national bloodbath for Republicans. At this point, that seems incredibly unlikely.”
Alan Cobb, president and CEO of the Kansas Chamber of Commerce and a confidant of Pompeo’s, dismisses the current proceedings in Washington and any potential for damage to Pompeo as “just pure silliness.”
“Absolutely, unequivocally, Pompeo isn’t negatively impacted in any way,” he said Friday. “Big nothing.”
Former Republican Gov. Sam Brownback’s chief of staff David Kensinger was just as dismissive of any damage being done to Pompeo:
“Do I think that two weeks of hearsay conducted by people who are on the second iteration of their third rationale for a conclusion they reached a long time ago has hurt a former West Point cadet (first in his class) — who is the most popular and respected political figure in his home state — amongst the voters of his home state who admire and largely agree with him and who have never failed to elect him by large margins over the past decade?”
Just in case there’s any suspense about how Kensinger answers that, put him down for a “No.”
Personally, I think it’s difficult for folks, especially those embroiled in long work hours, to assemble an informed opinion on a sometimes shadowy, acidly partisan, mixed-results ongoing pre-impeachment-hearing taking place on the coast.
It also strikes me that curiosity seems to be going only one way. While vice president, Joe Biden leveraged U.S. aid to get an admittedly corrupt Ukrainian prosecutor fired — albeit just in time, interestingly enough, to keep him from going after a Ukrainian energy company that Biden’s son Hunter sat on the board of directors of.
There’s also a case to be made still about whether functionaries in the government engaged in skulduggery — a soft coup of sorts — to first prevent, and then sabotage the Trump presidency.
Of course, as usual, Trump can’t seem to avoid helping his enemies.
Outside of Third World nations and Western Europe’s tossed-salad politics, throwing duly elected leaders out of office ought to be an absolute last resort. Are we there yet? Meh.
It’s instructive that Mundo’s Kansas City listeners are split on Pompeo, but not in the way those on the left would like: Some want him to come run for Senate, while others want him to keep working for the country.
Doesn’t sound like someone on life-support to me.
I’m keeping my powder dry. I could be convinced, but it’s going to take a lot more convincing — particularly after the Democrats’ one-sided handling of the proceedings early on.
By extension, it’s a little early to start shoveling dirt on Mike Pompeo’s political grave. Especially in Kansas.