The most amazing thing about Democrats and their allies in the media is that they never actually lose. Any time it seems like they lose, it’s actually the result of cheating and chicanery.
Hillary Clinton didn’t lose 2016, the Russians interfered and the Electoral College is racist. Stacy Abrams didn’t lose in Georgia, the election was stolen. And sure enough, the calls have already come out to say that House Democrats aren’t really going to lose the impeachment trial, because without additional witnesses the trial isn’t legitimate and the acquittal isn’t real.
Not this time. Mitch McConnell, President Trump’s legal team, and the GOP made fools of the Democrats and drank their milkshake. But this will not stop the aggrieved cackling heads from claiming this is all somehow fake. Take a gander at the sad-sack gaslighting below.
Perhaps the main question when this all ends will be: was this a trial? It will be something, no doubt an important happening. But was it, in the end, a trial? And if it wasn't a trial, by common standards of what a trial should be, will it be considered an acquittal?
— Dan Rather (@DanRather) January 31, 2020
"It's not a real trial and it's not a real exoneration," @KirstenPowers says.
"And it's a cover-up," @CarlBernstein adds. "That's what the Senate has now done. They have covered up what the President of the United States has done." pic.twitter.com/9m1Wip6ERc
— Brian Stelter (@brianstelter) January 31, 2020
In behaving as they have, Republicans are managing not only to deprive the president of a legitimate acquittal in the eyes of Americans (who overwhelmingly want a real trial), but also to convince voters that Republicans should not be entrusted with power. https://t.co/dpuzJ9rIA5
— Jen "I dissent " Rubin (@JRubinBlogger) January 24, 2020
This is the behavior of toddlers told they won’t be stopping for ice cream. “It’s not fair.” Let’s break down this tremendously stupid argument. It was perfectly fair for Democrats to set all the rules in the House impeachment process. They held secret testimony, and then they held hearings with no GOP witnesses. Then they held hearings where maybe the White House could have witnesses, at Democratic Rep. Jerry Nadler’s discretion, but those witnesses couldn’t have legal counsel.
Then instead of subpoenaing the witnesses they wanted like John Bolton and Mick Mulvaney, the Democrats said, “Oh my goodness, there’s no time for that, this is an emergency, we have to impeach Trump RIGHT NOW!” Even without those witnesses. At that point, they sat on the articles of impeachment for weeks hoping for some miracle to save their hopeless case. And by the way, if the acquittal isn’t legitimate because we didn’t hear from Bolton, how on earth is the impeachment itself legitimate?
The speed with which coordinated Democratic talking points infect the news media represents some of the most efficient propaganda the nation has ever seen. Efficient, but not effective. Only those already in the pews of the Church of Orange Man Bad are buying this latest nonsense argument. The U.S. Senate decides what an impeachment trial looks like, and whatever they decide is by definition legitimate.
Now that this unbelievable waste of five months inflicted on the American people in an attempt to undermine their democratic rights is coming to an end, the takeaway is not that Republicans acted unfairly, it’s that Democrats predictably got their rear ends kicked. Those same Democrats were warned for months that this was the only outcome their doomed impeachment could lead to, but nonetheless they persisted, and made fools of themselves.
Now the Democrats can go home and beat their walnut brains out against the wall
dan rather was the mouthpiece for slut hillery and whore dog billy. just as walter cronkite was for kennedy and johnson.
Not quite yet the vote was only for witnesses.
The witnesses not dug up by the House, no Adam threw the shovel at the senate and demanded, like the little tyrant he is, that they dig.
Monday they will make closing arguments 11am EST 4 hours 2 each.
Wednesday they will vote and the circus tent will be struck and dragged to the next coup attempt.
If the Democrats’ goal was to show what spoiled, petulant little children they are, they succeeded marvelously. If they were trying to convey any sense of ability to govern, they failed miserably.