The Trump impeachment resembles the previous Andrew Johnson impeachment in the following ways:
1. Both men had inflammatory, unbending personalities, and were suspected of authoritarian leanings;
2. Both insisted that they had done nothing wrong in the face of plenty of evidence to the contrary;
3. Both were sympathetic to white supremacists; and
4. Both were tried in the year of the general election, which complicated the political calculations for everyone.
It is the differences that get your attention, however:
1. Johnson was basically a man without a party. Unlike Trump, he didn’t have a base to rely on, and he wasn’t nominated by either party in 1868;
2. While white supremacy is about as odious a principle as you could get, at least it is a principle of sorts. Trump stands only for his own ego and ambitions; and
3. The vote on removing Johnson was a cliffhanger. The vote on Trump won’t be. The only question is whether any Republicans will vote for conviction. At this point, the smart money says that even Collins will vote no.