Given that an impeachment can’t lead to removal from office before 2021 (at the earliest), I think Pelosi is dragging her feet on impeachment so that the movement can continue to build momentum. I think she wants the actual impeachment hearings to take place closer to the 2020 election. Her best case scenario (in terms of political impact) is for the impeachment hearings to be live and active during the late stages of the election. Those impeachment hearings will dominate the news cycle 24/7. They’ll be the best attack ads possible, and they’ll carry no additional cost for Dems or Dem supporters. Everyone can get camera time to take a whack at the president.
If they start impeachment now, they’ll certainly impeach him, the Senate will certainly fail to convict, and it will all be ancient history when the vote rolls around.
