If the Democratic Party was really interested in democracy the January sixth hearings would matter. But the Democratic Party, as always, is more interested in political advantage than anything else. Sadly, the Democratic Party is really bad at politics. So, their willingness to put party politics over justice and a nod to democracy may result in another Trump presidency.
Some of the January sixth testimony grabs your attention. A lot of the testimony makes you angry. But all of it, no matter what emotions it triggers is essentially useless political theater.
Donald Trump will not be charged with anything. No Congressional Republican who participated in insurrection will face an expulsion vote. The “Justice Department” will brag about its prosecutions of low-level, insurrectionist racists while never seriously investigating any high-profile Washington insiders.
One of the reasons no prominent insurrectionists will ever account for their treachery is the Democratic Party’s unwillingness to anger Republican voters more than they already have. Democrats would rather give liberals made for television spectacles than hold any major Republican accountable or try to adopt legislation targeting right-wing extremists.
But the biggest reason Democrats have chosen to make the January sixth hearings nothing more than a television show is they believe their best chance at political success is running against Trump and his candidates. If Democrats believed Trump was an existential threat to their political power, the January sixth hearings would be designed to learn what happened and to result in criminal prosecution of all insurrectionists. But they have already announced the Jan Six Committee will not be making criminal referrals.
Liberals will get their television show. They will be encouraged to feel self-righteous (they are defending democracy by voting for their blue team).
But none of the leading insurrectionists will face justice. The American people will never know exactly what happened. And we will have elections between those who support insurrection and election fraud and those whose moral failings are so complete that they overlook insurrection when overlooking insurrection is seen as being in their best political interest.
The problem for Democrats is their smug, elitist view of the world doesn’t allow them to own their failings or see the suffering they are causing.
It’s possible their selfish gambit may work. It’s also possible their selfish gambit will fail when Republicans turn out for Trump and many who voted for Biden stay home because what a former White House assistant said about Trump doesn’t help them feed their families or afford a place to live.