I have written previously on this subject and basically stated that the House Trump impeachment hearings were going to happen whether you agreed with it or not. So now that the hearings have started, you basically have three options. First, you don't care and have no desire to waste any time following any of it. Secondly, based on what you know so far, you have made up your mind. Third, you are interested in what these hearings are all about and want to understand why congress is doing this instead of attending to other matters. Take the 2020 general election out of the equation. That will happen, and if the president is acquitted, these hearings may still inform your opinion.
Not your father's impeachment hearing
As discussed previously, the House impeachment hearings are the equivalent of a grand jury proceeding. Unlike a grand jury, the public is allowed to witness the event. What is interesting, unless you watch C-SPAN, is that this is a rare opportunity to witness original testimony and form your own opinions. No talking heads required. You are hearing the same things that the House is hearing. I would suggest you take the opportunity to do so if you have chosen option three. These hearings are much different, at least so far, than the Nixon impeachment. Nixon's ultimate issue was the cover-up. Here, there is no cover-up. It boils down to a decision whether the actions by the President are, in your opinion, impeachable actions. The Democrats say yes. They are arguing that the president abused the office by pressuring a foreign government to investigate a potential political opponent. The Republicans say no. They say that the Democrats are mischaracterizing the president's actions, and that the actions are not impeachable offenses.
Cue the dancing bears
As you watch the proceedings, you will see the partisan divisions. You will hear the different approach to questions for the witnesses. You will have to decide two things really. First, are you convinced that the actions taken by the president are impeachable offenses? Second, will anything come out of the hearings that will affect how you vote in 2020? Impeachment hearings are messy, complicated, tedious. If you care, just formulate your own opinions instead of hearing what the talking heads on CNN, MSNBC or FOX etc. think.
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