Get ready for a particularly rough campaign season

It’s been a long, bitter four months since House Speaker Nancy Pelosi announced a formal impeachment inquiry against President Donald Trump.

House Democrats impeached the president on charges of abuse of power and obstruction of Congress. Both were tied to allegations that the president pressured the leader of Ukraine to announce an investigation into Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden. Democrats accused Trump of withholding military aid that Congress had already approved for Ukraine in an effort to get his way.

The president vehemently denied the charges, repeatedly excoriating the House investigation as a witch hunt and the impeachment process as a hoax.

Trump delivered his State of the Union speech Tuesday, laying out his administration’s accomplishments and declaring a “Great American Comeback.” Number of mentions of impeachment? Zero.

Less than 24 hours later the Senate voted largely along party lines to acquit the president on both charges.

The only surprise came when Republican Sen. Mitt Romney of Utah, himself his party’s standard bearer for president just eight years ago, broke ranks with the GOP and voted to convict the president on the abuse of power charge. He joined fellow Republicans in rejecting the charge of obstruction of Congress. In doing so, he became the first senator in U.S. history to vote in favor of removing a president from his own party.

The bitterness and rabid partisan rhetoric that has accompanied this months-long spectacle was on full display last week.

It started Tuesday night when Trump, on entering the Capitol chamber and ascending to the podium, delivered copies of his speech to both Vice President Mike Pence and Pelosi. The president ignored Pelosi when she offered her hand for a pre-State of the Union handshake. Pelosi returned the favor when Trump concluded his remarks, creating a spectacle on national TV by ripping up her copy of the speech right there on the dais.

It did not take long for the Republican faithful to turn their wrath on Romney for simply voting his conscience. The senator had laid out the reasons for his vote in an emotional statement earlier in the day, referring to his deep religious beliefs and saying that he could not ignore his conscience in breaking ranks with his GOP colleagues.

Such a principled stand earned him the wrath of many of his conservative, Bible-toting brethren. There were calls for him to be expelled from the Republican Party. He was disinvited from a conservative group.

Clearly there is no room for dissent in today’s politics. For Republicans, there is only blind loyalty to Trump. Whether out of a belief in his policies, or simply a fear of his rabid base and the possibility of being “primaried.”

Think the Democrats don’t play by the same rules. Run that by Rep. Jeff Van Drew. The New Jersey Democrat flipped his registration, joining Republicans and earning a visit from Trump to Wildwood.

So where do we go from here? The House has spoken. The Senate has ruled.

Now it’s time for the people to offer their voice at the only place where it really counts: the polling place.

Americans will select a president come November, either granting Trump four more years or showing him the door in favor of an as yet unknown Democrat who will emerge from the horde seeking the nomination.

But make no mistake. The repercussions of the bitter national debate will be felt at the local level, especially in congressional races.

Democratic Reps. Chrissy Houlahan and Madeleine Dean voted for impeachment. Republican Rep. Dan Meuser is a staunch ally of the president. Attitudes toward Trump are bound to be the foremost factor for voters considering reelection of these lawmakers. Gone are the days when local considerations such as constituent service and bringing back federal dollars to the district held considerable sway over voters and led many to cross party lines. Today it’s all about partisanship.

The impeachment saga is over. But the State of the Union remains divided.

Buckle your seat belts. It’s going to be a bumpy ride.

— The Reading Eagle,

MediaNews Group