As I wrote earlier today, the newly-released transcript of the July phone call between President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky ultimately turned out to be a nothingburger in spite of Democratic protestations to the contrary.

It largely corroborated Trump’s account, as Amber Athey notes:

Here's what the transcript shows (& what it doesn't):

– Trump asked Zelensky to look into Biden's pressure on Ukraine to fire the prosecutor
– Trump did not threaten to withhold aid (alleged quid pro quo)
– Trump was concerned about Europe paying their fair share in aid

— Amber Athey (@amber_athey) September 25, 2019

While commentators will be arguing endlessly in the coming days and weeks as to whether or not Trump’s call rises to the level where impeachment would be imperative (it doesn’t), I think an indisputable conclusion after reading the transcript is that over the long term what Trump talked about with Zelensky will end up hurting Joe Biden more than it does Trump.

Rep. Dan Crenshaw (R-TX) is one high profile Republican Congressman who echoed this point on the Twitter machine in the aftermath of the Big Reveal:

This impeachment inquiry seems worse for Biden than it is for Trump.

Now the Hunter Biden-Ukraine issue is on everyone’s radar AND we know that Democrats overstepped with their ”quid pro quo” accusation.

Have to wonder whether they did this to help Warren/Sanders..? 🤔

— Dan Crenshaw (@DanCrenshawTX) September 25, 2019

That’s the short version of why the transcript is bad news for Biden.

Erielle Davidson at The Federalist wrote a more detailed explainer this morning on how a renewed focus on Biden’s admitted role in the firing of the Ukrainian prosecutor could ultimately backfire on both the Democratic presidential frontrunner and his party:

Despite the left’s attempts to focus the hysteria on the allegations, there is plenty amiss about Joe Biden’s involvement in Ukraine, events that are genuinely worthy of investigation. While serving as vice president, Joe Biden pressured Ukraine to fire its prosecutor general, who was then investigating the natural gas company paying Biden’s son as much as $55,000 per month to sit on its board. Biden can be seen here bragging about his role in having the prosecutor removed.

In an era in which the left perpetually accuses Trump of corruption and nepotism, it would be an uncomfortable endeavor for the left to explain how Biden’s desire to fire Ukraine’s top prosecutor had nothing to do with the fact that the prosecutor was investigating his son’s company.
[…]
Biden has been polling as the candidate most able to beat Trump in the general election. Thus, as Democrats push for impeachment proceedings against Trump on the basis of the Ukraine phone call, what they are really advocating for is a full-blown investigation of arguably their most electable candidate.

The Democrats oversold Russiagate bigly and as a result, the American people do not have an appetite for impeachment. It’s not hard to see how the left’s latest feverish push for ousting Trump from office in response to his phone call with the Ukrainian president may also fail in a similar fashion, except this time the effort has the potential to take down the likely Democratic presidential nominee with it.

That would be off-the-charts ironic. I’m stocking up on the popcorn.

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— Based in North Carolina, Sister Toldjah is a former liberal and a 15+ year veteran of blogging with an emphasis on media bias, social issues, and the culture wars. Read her Red State archives here. Connect with her on Twitter. –