Donald Trump has been acquitted! Champaign corks are popping! There is dancing in the streets! The Democrats are celebrating with joy unbounded!
Huh? The Democrats celebrating? How could this be? Isn’t it true that they hold Trump as enemy #1?
Well, yes, they do. And that is exactly why they are celebrating. Had the Senate trial ended in a conviction, Trump would have been banned from running for federal office ever again. His voice would, over time, become less of a factor in the national discourse. His base would move to support other, less volatile, candidates.
Now that Trump has been “exonerated,” he is free to remain the central spokesperson for the Republican Party. That, in turn, will enhance the odds of election success for Democrats going forward.
More important, all those Trump Haters, those pundits who have elevated political vitriol to an art form, will still be in business. No need to pivot to new villains.
But wait. There is yet another benefit for the Democrats. They now can label those Republican Senators who voted to acquit as spineless political hacks who place their own re-election above the good of the country.
Somewhere along the line, the Democrats have learned to play chess. They have shrewdly sacrificed one small battle (Trump’s impeachment) in order to win the larger war (the 2022 midterms and the 2024 national election). Smart.
Now that, my friend, calls for celebration! Pass the champaign!