I think people need to think a little harder about how the tenor of the news will change once impeachment leaves the House. Right now there are bombshell revelations about Trump every day, dominating headlines and forcing the GOP into a constant defensive crouch. That will end.
In its place, you will have a carefully staged drama, totally controlled by Mitch McConnell, in which the GOP tries to preserve some suspense how they will vote. The news will mostly eat it up, even though they know it’s kabuki. And then... *drumroll* acquittal.
Acquittal won’t reverse Trump’s fortunes, and it will be deeply painful for swing state Rs, however they vote. But it’ll be better news for Trump than the status quo today, which is a neverending rout for him and his party.
Right now it feels like people are having trouble thinking about this inevitable endpoint, even if it looms close, because they’re caught up in the excitement of impeachment hitting on all cylinders. But try! Because that day WILL come, and far before the election at this rate.
Now, Democrats may not want artificially prolong this, Benghazi-style. That’s fine. But right now we’re in the opposite scenario: there are piles of leads that Dems seem to be actively avoiding. Just doing their due diligence would keep Trump in this painful limbo for ages.
Try to think ahead to March - imagine a world where Trump has been impeached on all the facts we know today, acquitted, and it’s done, with no real chance of anything new coming out. Does that really seem preferable to a world where oversight and investigations are ongoing?
