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Not Calling Witnesses, Impeachment Managers Understand What Constitutes Persuasion in Polarized America
Let me start here, with a memory check.
Well, first, here’s one recent historical phenomenon about which I don’t think I have to remind readers: Donald Trump’s long and relentless train of racist and sexist comments, of violations of democratic norms and procedures, of self-serving and anti-democratic abuses of power.
At least I don’t have to remind those readers lambasting the House impeachment managers who decided against calling witnesses in the trial after they had won a vote allowing them to, joined by a handful of Republicans. These readers have their rap sheet on Trump carefully inventoried.
I will ask readers to remember, though, how after nearly every new grotesque infraction, after every new act of political malfeasance and malevolence, after every newly discovered crime, many of us through our disgust nonetheless perked up hopefully, thinking, “Surely this is the straw that breaks the camel’s back, that finishes Trump. Surely Americans cannot tolerate this. Surely they have reached their limit, their tipping point, on indecency and hate.”
I think this emotional dynamic, as described here, will resonate with many readers.
