A “Write In Impeach Trump” sign stands — or stood — near the corner of Broadway and Henderson. Photo: Rachel Marrella.

Someone sure hopes so!

Lately, signs and fliers urging Eureka voters to write in “Impeach Trump” on their Nov. 6 ballot for city council and mayor have appeared around town. The campaigners have even set up a Facebook group filled with memes and slogans designed to entice the left-leaning voter to get behind this extraordinarily stupid cause.

To what end? Says Write In Impeach Trump:

There are no legitimately progressive candidates for Eureka Mayor or City Council. We all know this.

It’s time to stop playing THEIR GAME, THEIR WAY. We need to stop settling to choosing which of THEM gets to rule US. There’s no reason we should settle for the choices they offer us.

Write in “IMPEACH TRUMP” when you vote this November, and help the people send a strong message to the powers that be - WE WILL NOT SIT ON THE SIDELINES ANYMORE!

Why is this stupid? For one, there are more candidates than ever on the Eureka ballot, and they represent a quite wide band of the ideological spectrum. If none meets your litmus test, then it’s very likely no one ever will.

For two: No one’s gonna see your idiotic protest vote except a bored poll worker! It is the least effective form of protest imaginable. Scream in your shower instead — at least there’s a chance that your neighbor will hear you.

It almost goes without saying that “Write In Impeach Trump” is an anonymous campaign. A phone number on the Facebook page goes straight to voicemail. But there’s clearly at least a little bit of money and effort behind “Write In Impeach Trump” — signs and flyers might be cheap, but they’re not free. 

There’s always a chance that the campaign is the work of a disaffected lefty with some spare pocket change. But it seems far more likely that this is a sixth-rate elections dirty trick perpetrated by a would-be Karl Rove. 

Take a look this “Write In Impeach Trump” lead-in to a North Coast News story on the odd “fair campaigning” press release a few weeks ago — a document that particularly irked right-leaning candidates in the council and mayoral races. The North Coast News piece feature an interview with First Ward candidate Anthony Mantova. Here’s what “Write In Impeach Trump” had to say about it.

Look at this. LOOK at this. LOOK! AT! THIS!

I consider myself a strong, intelligent progressive but this is just over the top! The so-called progressives in this election are bullying the (admittedly conservative ew) candidates out of the running. In fighting against evil, they became evil themselves!

I think Friedrich Nietzsche had something relevant to say about the Abyss and fighting monsters.

Imagine, if you will, a lefty so enraged by the lack of purity among candidates for local office — enraged enough to launch a campaign urging people to throw away their votes in those elections — typing the words: “I consider myself a strong, intelligent progressive.” And then imagine that person expressing sympathy for conservative candidates!

Now imagine the opposite — a conservative person playing a progressive on Facebook — typing those words, and launching this campaign.

Well, who knows! But with ward elections and crowded fields for many races, a very few number of votes could make the difference.

The Lost Coast Outpost endorses voting for an actual, breathing human being on your Nov. 6 ballot, and not writing in “Impeach Trump” anywhere. It fails as activism, and it should fail as a troll.