Opinion by: Krystal Ball

Today former Ukraine Ambassador Marie Yovanovitch Marie YovanovitchGrand jury adds additional counts against Giuliani associates Lev Parnas and and Igor Fruman Strzok: Trump behaving like an authoritarian Powell backs Biden at convention as Democrats rip Trump on security MORE will testify as part of the public phase of the Democrat's impeachment inquiry. Wednesday we, of course, heard from State Department official George Kent and Ambassador William Taylor.

Other than our rising live coverage of course, the most exciting part of Wednesday’s hearing came after the fact when democrats online argued about whether you were allowed to state the very obvious fact that the hearings were incredibly boring.

NBC's Jonathan Allen, in particular, got dragged for this news analysis piece stating that: "the first two witnesses called Wednesday testified to Trump's scheme, but lacked the pizazz necessary to capture public attention." How dare he be honest about the fact that the democrats attempt to create a dramatic watergate-esque moment collapsed into a ponderous recitation of bureaucratic infighting.

Remember the whole point of these hearings is supposed to be to change public opinion. They've been explicit that their strategy is to dramatize and bring to life the allegations against President Trump Donald John TrumpFederal prosecutor speaks out, says Barr 'has brought shame' on Justice Dept. Former Pence aide: White House staffers discussed Trump refusing to leave office Progressive group buys domain name of Trump's No. 1 Supreme Court pick MORE in a way that lands with regular folks. In the way that John Dean's "cancer on the presidency" resonated. This was supposed to be the moment when the tables turned and Republicans came to their senses and decided facing overwhelming public pressure that they did in fact want to remove Trump from office. The fact that nothing remotely resembling that occurred or is likely to occur is not meaningless optics, it actually speaks to the core reason why they are going through all of this. I mean, The Washington Post is currently selling an illustrated graphic novel version of the Mueller report based on the deeply held belief that if Trump's Russia and Ukraine exploits could just be dumbed down enough for the poor stupid public then finally everyone would share in the outrage over Ukrainian military aid that pours forth from cable news every day.

Meanwhile, Nancy Pelosi Nancy PelosiDemocratic senator to party: 'A little message discipline wouldn't kill us' Overnight Health Care: New wave of COVID-19 cases builds in US | Florida to lift all coronavirus restrictions on restaurants, bars | Trump stirs questions with 0 drug coupon plan Overnight Defense: Appeals court revives House lawsuit against military funding for border wall | Dems push for limits on transferring military gear to police | Lawmakers ask for IG probe into Pentagon's use of COVID-19 funds MORE must be delighted that a trial in the Senate will take Bernie and warren off the campaign trail for 6-8 weeks since we all know what she thinks of their politics. In an attempt to jazz up the interminable inquiry she held a press conference yesterday in which she accused the president of bribery. take a listen.

So in spite of upping the rhetorical ante, even democrats are conceding that these hearings aren't going to move the public one bit.

Congressman Jim Himes James (Jim) Andres HimesMany Democrats want John Bolton's testimony, but Pelosi stays mum SEC's Clayton demurs on firing of Manhattan US attorney he would replace Democrats face tough questions with Bolton MORE explained to CNN that: "abuse of power is not necessarily a concept that most Americans run around thinking about. the point is we are all working to try to make a fairly unusual concept to most Americans -- abuse of power -- understandable."

Actually congressman, the American people have zero trouble understanding abuse of power. why do you think that they've rejected the bipartisan soft corruption consensus so thoroughly? No, what all of this pizazz analysis misses is the real reason why most Americans are unmoved by Russiagate and now Ukrainegate. The reason why even voters in the Democratic primary never bring up impeachment or rank it at the top of their priorities. The reason why the candidates who most staked their presidential campaigns on Trump opposition have either exited the race completely or are flailing around somewhere in the low single digits.

It's not because voters are too dumb or not paying attention or racist or haven't watched enough Rachel Maddow Rachel Anne MaddowGOP lawmakers distance themselves from Trump comments on transfer of power Schiff urges Trump administration members to resign: 'You cannot maintain your silence' Michael Cohen: Trump hates Obama because he's everything he 'wants to be' MORE. it's not because Nancy Pelosi hasn't said bribery enough or because George Kent wore a bow-tie.

Let's be honest. The reason that no one cares what Democrats have to say about corruption is because Democrats have zero moral authority. No one buys their outrage or believes that they are impartial actors here. After all, this whole Ukraine-gate issue revolves around a potential investigation into the actual soft corruption of Democratic frontrunner Joe Biden Joe BidenFormer Pence aide: White House staffers discussed Trump refusing to leave office Progressive group buys domain name of Trump's No. 1 Supreme Court pick Bloomberg rolls out M ad buy to boost Biden in Florida MORE. Just this week, democratic elites pushed deval Patrick into the presidential race, a guy who parlayed his position at the DOJ helping to settle a massive racial discrimination settlement with Texaco into a high paying and prestigious job at Texaco. As saagar highlighted recently, ways and means chair Richard Neal Richard Edmund NealOn The Money: Half of states deplete funds for Trump's 0 unemployment expansion | EU appealing ruling in Apple tax case | House Democrats include more aid for airlines in coronavirus package House Democrats to include more aid for airlines in coronavirus package The Hill's Morning Report - Sponsored by Facebook - Republicans lawmakers rebuke Trump on election MORE recently presided over a centennial birthday party for AIG, a company taxpayers bailed out to the tune of $180 billion dollars. The guy who helped to write our so-called banking reform bill now sits on the board of a bank!

More broadly, these are the people who worked in concert with Republicans to ship jobs overseas, deregulate banks, crush unions, and allow corporate monopolies to gain control over nearly every aspect of our lives. only to be rewarded with cushy jobs, gala celebrations, and a permanent ticket into the ruling elite. Americans aren't impressed that Trump's behavior is so radically different than say Hillary Clinton Hillary Diane Rodham ClintonBloomberg rolls out M ad buy to boost Biden in Florida Hillicon Valley: Productivity, fatigue, cybersecurity emerge as top concerns amid pandemic | Facebook critics launch alternative oversight board | Google to temporarily bar election ads after polls close Trump pledges to make Juneteenth a federal holiday, designate KKK a terrorist group in pitch to Black voters MORE’s conduct at the State Department while her family foundation was sucking up massive overseas cash. And they certainly don't trust the democratic establishment to be the arbiters of moral behavior and good government. Not when they still can't even bring themselves to acknowledge that hunter Biden cashing in on daddy's name is hardly a noble act. Remember this?

See, people sit on board and they receive monetary payment. Allow me to save you the suspense here, the American people understand plenty. It's the democratic leadership that's a little slow on the uptake. Democrats want America to care deeply about these particular presidential norms and guardrails and the rule of law. But when we look around and see that the people who destroyed the economy were never held accountable and in fact are richer than ever. When we see how our elite institutions bent all the rules to protect Harvey Weinstein and Jeffrey Epstein, when we see Hunter Biden on a crack binge whilst making $50k per month on a corporate board meanwhile young black and brown men are locked in prison for life for the same offense under rules that Hunter's own daddy created, it makes all the moralizing about how no one's above the law ring a little hollow.

Perhaps, if I put it in graphic novel form it will be understandable enough for the democratic establishment to finally get it.