Opinion: If Obama Is Impeached Over Benghazi Scandal
As the Benghazi, Libya scandal increases by the day, Americans need to consider what would happen if President Barack Obama is impeached over the events that led to – but allegedly were not honestly reported regarding – the terrorist murders of four Americans in Benghazi, Libya on Sept. 11, 2012.
As it stands, mounting questions are being asked – in ex-President Richard M. Nixon’s Watergate style – which could lead to the Oval Office. If it is found that President Barack Obama lied about not knowing that the attack was a terrorist attack and if he took the ultimate step in deciding to not secure the Benghazi, Libya consulate for the four dead Americans including Ambassador Chris Stevens, the nation could very likely repeat the events of the early 1970s when Richard M. Nixon was ousted from office and the vice president – Gerald R. Ford – finished out Nixon’s term.
Thereby, as a nation, Americans need to consider a Joe Biden presidency occurring as early as 2013. Naturally, unless Biden is involved in a like-scandal himself, the Joe Biden presidency would last nearly four years until the end of what should have been Obama’s second term.
So, what would a Biden presidency look like?
Most importantly, would the nation’s political leftists embrace a Joe Biden presidency at all? Though they wouldn’t have any choice in the matter, the slim majority of Americans who chose President Obama for a second term would likely welcome Biden just as the political rightists welcomed ex-President Gerald R. Ford when Nixon was ousted from office for lying to the public regarding the Watergate scandal.
Even though the mood of the country was to heal from the trauma of the Watergate scandal, Ford lost his bid for his own term in 1976 to ex-President Jimmy Carter. The nation wanted a total change from the criminal past of the Nixon era. Also, some suspected something underhanded in the pardoning of Nixon – which Ford accomplished during his presidency. Knowing that history does repeat itself, Biden would likely be limited to the one term as the nation will again want a break from any criminality involved in the Democratic Party. And, like Ford, Biden would possibly pardon Obama and turn off masses of voters as Ford did.
A Joe Biden presidency in 2013 would likely be welcomed in Congress, regardless of what the public would think of such an arrangement. Biden has been around Washington, D.C. for decades and has made many comfortable relationships with the politicians on Capitol Hill of whom President Barack Obama has not been able to cohabitate productively. The gridlock in federal government wouldn’t exactly come to a screeching halt, but the two political Parties would gradually start working together to get something – anything – accomplished. From Biden’s past, it appears he would be much more compromising to get work done in Congress than he has been able to do while under President Obama’s thumb.
Also, Americans need to remember that Biden was analytically-reported to have been chosen for the vice presidency in 2008 due to his expertise and experience in foreign affairs. Perhaps a Biden presidency would temper the rough Middle East concerns that have been plaguing the United States much too long.
Unfortunately, on the economy and jobs, Biden would probably have the same challenges and lack of success at correcting these national woes due to his liberal-spending upbringing. Not to worry, though, because the change of Parties in 2016 can take care of that in time.
What made Watergate worse than what it had to be some-40 years ago was the extremely long amount of time that it took for the nation to get to the bottom of it all. Having learned from that lesson, Americans have to have faith that getting to the bottom of the Libya scandal will move more swiftly – regardless of the outcome.
About Scott Paulson
Scott Paulson writes political commentary for Examiner.com and teaches English at a community college in the Chicago area. The views and opinions expressed in this post are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of CBS Local.