While estimates of Republican House members who are "undecided" on the impeachment vote later this week range as high as 38 names, in reality, the list is much shorter. Insiders from both parties insist there is an important distinction between the truly undecided and those who are simply undeclared.
Those who have made up their minds but have not publicly disclosed their intentions have varying motivations for remaining coy. Some enjoy the limelight, others are seeking to minimize the abuse they will get from voters who disagree with their ultimate decision. Whatever the motivation, shrewd vote counters in both parties' leadership as well as those at the White House can generally sort out which are which.
Republican moderates must first look over their left shoulder to consider how a pro-impeachment vote might hurt them in the general election, then look over their right shoulder to contemplate how this could create or embolden a conservative challenger in the GOP primary. While it is possible some moderate-to-conservative Democrats might have similar concerns, the problem seems much more acute for Republicans attempting to
Subscribe Today
Our subscribers have first access to individual race pages for each House, Senate and Governors race, which will include race ratings (each race is rated on a seven-point scale) and a narrative analysis pertaining to that race.