Move to impeach Trump sends strong signal
The people, in fair elections, decide who governs, John Whyte writes.
Nations are often required to face days that expose their vulnerabilities and reveal their capacity for self-destruction. For America,
Jan. 6, was such a day. The Capitol, America's citadel of democratic governance, was overrun by the brute force of an insurrection.
For one long day, the forceful suppression of democracy's prime element of its legitimacy — the selection of political leadership through fair elections — was vanquished by the rampage of persons urged on by the president of the United States.
Political trauma on this scale demands response and redress and the choices that are made in doing this are vitally important. Of course, the events of that day demand careful analysis. There are questions about the hidden ideologies in enforcement agencies. There are serious concerns over how deeply embedded in American society is a willingness to resort to force to take control of national politics.
However, the primary challenge facing American lawmakers following the attack on the Capitol was not simply to conduct an analysis of policy and practice. It was to respond to the insurrection in a way that fits the scale of such an attack on Congress.
Democracy's ambition is to create a political culture based on peaceful — or at least temperate — coexistence of supporters of diverse political purposes. Democracy loses its means and purpose when its political practices include relentless scorn for opponents and when hostility is its only attitude. The attack on Jan. 6 raised hostility to nation-destroying levels.
The first reaction of Democratic Party legislators, following the attack on the Capitol was urging the removal of the president under the Constitution's Article 25.
Next, the Democratic majority, with 10 Republican members, voted to impeach the president. Usually this quickly leads to a Senate trial to determine if the president should be convicted and removed for committing high crimes or misdemeanours. This time, the trial will not proceed quickly. Furthermore, it is likely that Republican senators will block a decision to convict.
Democrats did not decide to ignore Donald Trump's culpability because their efforts would not fully succeed, or because Trump would soon leave the presidency. Nor did they retreat in the face of president-elect Joe Biden's desire to bring about a more co-operative and less confrontational political culture.
However, Democrats in Washington believe Trump's conduct represents a profound weakening of America's
democratic tradition and reputation and warrants the firmest censure possible. For one thing, the route to impeachment is not the same as a criminal proceeding in which the accused is innocent until proven guilty.
The path to innocence for Trump is not evident. There is the prior decision to impeach and there will be the size of the minority in the Senate that votes to convict. There will likely be a majority decision for this if not enough votes to convict.
Impeachment and a majority for conviction are declaratory outcomes representing the idea that political power in America depends on gaining the support of an electoral majority and that when America was subjected to presidential conduct that violated this central democratic requirement, it stood up for the idea that it is the people in fair elections who decide who will govern.