Many readers will find the title of this post annoying. They will believe, as I do, that the Jan 6 hearings are a partisan hack job, orchestrated by Nancy Pelosi as a taxpayer-financed campaign ad. Contrary to long-established tradition, she did not permit the Minority Leader, Kevin McCarthy, to appoint the Committee’s minority members. Instead, she simply banned two of them who held openly pro-Trump stances, leading McCarthy to pull his other appointees as well. So the Committee consists only of dead-end partisan Democrats who prejudged Trump long ago, plus two Republicans who have made a point of condemning him. There’s not a single member even mildly favorable to Trump, or even one with an open mind.
Thanks. As to your observation: At least some people -- the ones I have in mind as an audience for this post -- will be able to distinguish between substance and process. The rigged process stinks and reflects badly on the Dems irrespective of what the evidence shows about Trump. But because the evidence is what it is (and much has been supplied by down-the-line Republican witnesses), the substance also stinks and reflects badly on Trump. One foul odor does not make the other more fragrant. Indeed, it makes you want to -- how shall I say this? -- wear a mask.
The Dems are holding the hearings for several reasons. First, at the time the hearings were conceived, it was more likely than it seems now that Trump would be the '24 candidate, and thus the hearings would be a campaign ad (and furnish clips for yet lots more campaign ads). Second and probably more important, the Dems are, amazingly, just as obsessed with Trump as he is with himself. They regard him as not just a gift, as you say, but like the talismanic voodoo doll, and they just can't put him down. Third, constantly banging on Trump feeds one of the main psychic engines of the Dems, to wit, invincible moral superiority and condescension. Fourth, it feeds another sick part of their psyche, i.e., that everything is a "crisis." This was a "crisis for democracy," dontcha know, even though the rioters were mostly just a bunch of clowns and dopes who couldn't bring down a step ladder much less a government. I think the counting of the electoral votes was delayed by maybe two hours -- which should never have been the case for sure, but never amounted to a crisis. The idea that some character in body paint with buffalo horns was going to keep Trump in power regardless of the cops, both houses of Congress, the Supreme Court and (if it came to it, which it assuredly would not) the army is just too preposterous for words. But we gotta have a "crisis" and this gets the call.
This excellent post prompts an observation and a question.
First, the observation. There may be a tension among the various goods the hearings are doing. The more the hearings demonstrate that Trump does not have the character, temperament, judgment or rigid devotion to the rule of law needed to be President, the less inclined the public may be to react negatively to Pelosi and the mainstream media for the way the hearings are being run and covered.
By the same token, the more disgust the hearings create with Pelosi and the media, the less inclined portions of the public may be to take seriously what the hearings demonstrate about Trump.
Now the question. If the likely effect of the hearings is to dissuade Republicans from nominating Trump, why are the Democrats holding them? Do they think they are better off running against Ron DiSantis, for example, than Trump in 2024? Are they so disparate not to be trounced in 2022, and believe these hearings will help them avoid a trouncing, that they are disregarding the possible impact of the hearings on 2024? Or do they hate Trump and what he did leading up to the riot so much that they are going after him without much thought about electoral consequences?
I don't the answer. I don't even have an opinion. I just think it's odd that Pelosi and her crowd are trying to rid the body politic of Donald Trump who, in my opinion, has become a gift to the Democrats.
My belief is you are making it more complex than it needs to be. Americans are not watching, other than those who already hate Trump. I don’t live in the beltway and haven’t heard a single person bring it up in daily conversation. It only results in the same Trump haters hating him even more. They don’t get to vote twice because of it.
More broadly, I do believe there is “Trump exhaustion” and nominating him would be handing the Dems a slingshot and rock for 2024. Any discussion of Trump takes bandwidth from discussing the economy.
There might even be a double whammy here. Republicans don't like the hearings because the Dems are using them to brand us as anti-democracy. We want all this to go away and to refocus on policy. Psychologically that makes Trump a burden.
Paul --
Thanks. As to your observation: At least some people -- the ones I have in mind as an audience for this post -- will be able to distinguish between substance and process. The rigged process stinks and reflects badly on the Dems irrespective of what the evidence shows about Trump. But because the evidence is what it is (and much has been supplied by down-the-line Republican witnesses), the substance also stinks and reflects badly on Trump. One foul odor does not make the other more fragrant. Indeed, it makes you want to -- how shall I say this? -- wear a mask.
The Dems are holding the hearings for several reasons. First, at the time the hearings were conceived, it was more likely than it seems now that Trump would be the '24 candidate, and thus the hearings would be a campaign ad (and furnish clips for yet lots more campaign ads). Second and probably more important, the Dems are, amazingly, just as obsessed with Trump as he is with himself. They regard him as not just a gift, as you say, but like the talismanic voodoo doll, and they just can't put him down. Third, constantly banging on Trump feeds one of the main psychic engines of the Dems, to wit, invincible moral superiority and condescension. Fourth, it feeds another sick part of their psyche, i.e., that everything is a "crisis." This was a "crisis for democracy," dontcha know, even though the rioters were mostly just a bunch of clowns and dopes who couldn't bring down a step ladder much less a government. I think the counting of the electoral votes was delayed by maybe two hours -- which should never have been the case for sure, but never amounted to a crisis. The idea that some character in body paint with buffalo horns was going to keep Trump in power regardless of the cops, both houses of Congress, the Supreme Court and (if it came to it, which it assuredly would not) the army is just too preposterous for words. But we gotta have a "crisis" and this gets the call.
This excellent post prompts an observation and a question.
First, the observation. There may be a tension among the various goods the hearings are doing. The more the hearings demonstrate that Trump does not have the character, temperament, judgment or rigid devotion to the rule of law needed to be President, the less inclined the public may be to react negatively to Pelosi and the mainstream media for the way the hearings are being run and covered.
By the same token, the more disgust the hearings create with Pelosi and the media, the less inclined portions of the public may be to take seriously what the hearings demonstrate about Trump.
Now the question. If the likely effect of the hearings is to dissuade Republicans from nominating Trump, why are the Democrats holding them? Do they think they are better off running against Ron DiSantis, for example, than Trump in 2024? Are they so disparate not to be trounced in 2022, and believe these hearings will help them avoid a trouncing, that they are disregarding the possible impact of the hearings on 2024? Or do they hate Trump and what he did leading up to the riot so much that they are going after him without much thought about electoral consequences?
I don't the answer. I don't even have an opinion. I just think it's odd that Pelosi and her crowd are trying to rid the body politic of Donald Trump who, in my opinion, has become a gift to the Democrats.
My belief is you are making it more complex than it needs to be. Americans are not watching, other than those who already hate Trump. I don’t live in the beltway and haven’t heard a single person bring it up in daily conversation. It only results in the same Trump haters hating him even more. They don’t get to vote twice because of it.
More broadly, I do believe there is “Trump exhaustion” and nominating him would be handing the Dems a slingshot and rock for 2024. Any discussion of Trump takes bandwidth from discussing the economy.
There might even be a double whammy here. Republicans don't like the hearings because the Dems are using them to brand us as anti-democracy. We want all this to go away and to refocus on policy. Psychologically that makes Trump a burden.
Everybody knows whats going on with these hearings. Well, except for Peggy Noonan.