Historian Doris Kearns Goodwin was chock full of wishful thinking about President Donald Trump conveniently fulfilling the ongoing liberal fantasy about his exit from office on the December 11 Morning Joe. Somehow Goodwin envisioned Trump doing the Democrats the favor of sparing them from having to go through an incredibly lame impeachment (Limpeachment?) based on civil FEC campaign violations (which were vastly exceeded by the 2012 Obama campaign and payments to women which the FEC dropped regarding charges against John Edwards).
Goodwin's scenario involved a Trump so lacking in joy that he would look for an honorable way out of the Oval Office via resignation. Of course, this would spare the Democrats from having to embarrass themselves from impeaching Trump for the lamest of reasons which in Goodwin's fantasy he would be happy to oblige.
DORIS KEARNS GOODWIN: It hasn’t been as bad since the 1850s and that didn’t end up too well with the Civil War that 600,000 people died. But what strikes me, when you talk about the miserableness of these people, there's no joy in that White House. You don't see anybody who is really feeling the fulfillment of their job. And it’s hard enough to be in the pressured situation like the White House if you have no joy and the top guy doesn't have any joy. Do you see President Trump really finding himself in this job? He’s fighting every moment.
Yes, the last time the Democrats were this upset with a Republican president in 1860 it didn't end well as historian Kearns Goodwin noted.
KEARNS GOODWIN: The only joy is when he’s out with the rallies and he gets oxygen from the rallies, but inside the White House he’s trapped. I think maybe that’s what Joe has been saying all along. I think at some point he might resign. If this thing gets so bad and it's coming right in on him and he can figure out some honorable way that he’s doing something good by leaving, he’ll figure it out some honorable way. Something in his definition that allows him to go.
Kearns Goodwin sees no joy in a president that seems to be having a grand old time tweaking Democrats via tweets and by merely remaining in office. Actually quite strong incentives for him to remain. So, sorry Doris, but Trump will probably not do Democrats the favor of sparing them from deciding whether to go forward.
