Despite having a historically weak impeachment case, which they almost certainly will lose in the Senate, the Democrats are hitting surprisingly hard due to the ineptitude of the Republicans. With the defense outlined by attorney Alan Dershowitz, the impeachment trial should end in a few days with the case dismissed – but the anti-Trump Dems are getting their jabs in while they can.

The Purpose of Impeachment

Many people treat the impeachment as a joke and a sham. The outcome in the Senate is almost certainly given in favor of President Donald Trump. However, the real battle is about winning the hearts and minds of the public, and on this front, the anti-Trumpers are killing it. So far, the president’s lawyers have chosen to go into the weeds. By so doing, they are helping the opposition.

The strategy of the Democrats appears to be to lie openly, blatantly, and confidently – with the knowledge that they have the mainstream media on their side. The Democrats know that they will lose the trial, and all they can hope to achieve is to sully Trump in the public eye. The smear campaign works on the same principle as advertisement: repetition. The more a message is repeated, regardless of whether it is true or not, the more it will penetrate the public. Those who do not pay close attention to the news cycle will then absorb the message through cultural osmosis.

Democrats can maximize this strategy in two ways: Make Trump’s defense team go into the weeds – more details mean more chances to repeat the core message. Drag out the trial in time. The longer it lasts, the more often the message can be repeated.

Right now, the Democrats are faring much better in the propaganda war.

The Dershowitz Strategy

The president has hired the renowned constitutional expert and attorney Alan Dershowitz as an adviser to his team. His argument combines the power of being purely constitutional while simultaneously being persuasive. It’s quite simple: Even if everything the Democrats allege is true, it is not an impeachable offense because it does not rise to the level of “treason, bribery, or other high crimes and misdemeanors.” Since there is no impeachable offense, the case must be dismissed. No additional witnesses, documents, or even arguments needed.

Dangerous Precedent

Dershowitz argues that if the current articles of impeachment are allowed to set a precedent, it will give too much power to Congress and reduce any future impeachment to “who has the most votes in the House.” So far, the president’s attorneys have chosen not to use his argument. It will likely not have any impact on the outcome of the trial, but the upcoming election will reveal whether the Democrats were able to use it to influence the outcome.

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