Suspense-free impeachment may yet reverberate for years to come

During the impeachment trial of President Donald Trump, Democratic Sen. Chris Coons of Delaware would sometimes look up to the visitors gallery from his desk in the last row of the chamber. He had offered tickets to constituents who wanted them, and hoped to see people from his nearby state in the evenings, when they could get there after work to witness this historic event in person.

But the auditorium seats in the gallery remained largely empty.

Senator Coons attributed the disinterest in the proceedings – a ratings disaster for the networks that carried them live – to two things. One was the lack of suspense. Everyone, on both sides, assumed the trial would end in acquittal.

At the same time, to many Americans “this