Is the J6 Committee's work the the fulcrum of the life or death of our democracy?

[Stinky The Clown]

Looking at this from well above the details of it all, is the ability of the committee to convince the nation of the GQP's malevolent intent toward our democracy our last chance?

If they can convince the majority of our country, especially in red areas and red states, the truth of what occurred, that could have a profound impact of the outcome of the midterms and beyond. If they fail to do so, it seems to me increasingly likely we lose the House and/or the Senate. And if we do, Biden't last two years will be crushingly ineffective. This will not be Biden's fault but the blame, of course, Willa ccrue to him.

It is reasonable to think the GQP is approaching a successful end point to their goals and people like DeSantis and Abbott will be the feared "smart" Trump. A successful J6 conclusion, as a counterpoint, would be a huge setback to the GQP.

I think we are dancing on a razor's edge.

[LakeArenal]

1. I do have some faith in the US still. But I fear you might be correct.

Looking at the US while living in another country….
Many think US is screwed by it’s own making.

[bucolic_frolic]

2. Yes, but 2024 Presidential ticket candidates will be scrutinized like no other

Biden will pass that test. DeSantis, Abbot, Cruz, McCarthy will have some baggage that will not pass through the filter.

Personally I think Paul Ryan will be the candidate. GOP must go with someone who's been off the table these 5-6 years.

[jcgoldie]

8. no way Paul Ryan wins a GOP primary in a party dominated by Trumpers

He's as tainted as Mittens for them.

There's a reason Mitch and McCarthy and Lindsey all went running from their own moments of clarity following January 6th... they knew it was political suicide in today's GOP and their job is more important to them than their country.

[brooklynite]

3. The Jan 6 Committee will have no impact on the 2022 election...

...unless it comes up with smoking gun evidence on House members IN competitive seats. Jordan, McCarthy, Greene, Cawthorn, etc. are all in safe R districts and will not be at risk. Partisan votes on both sides have made up their minds and won't be influenced. And disaffected voters won't be paying attention to the Hearings or the final report.

[MerryHolidays]

6. I agree with the smoking gun aspect, but I disagree that it must be tied to speciifc elections

The November 1974 mid-term elections after Nixon resigned were a disaster for the Republican party generally. The taint was so great that many, many R incumbents in the House and Senate lost that year, as well as in state elections: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1974_United_States_elections

For the last year, the Rs have gaslighted the hell out of the insurrection, to the point that their pathetic explanations have now become accepted by Rs and even independents. The J6 Committee is the one group that COULD make a difference by graphically demonstrating what really happened and who is tied in.

I used to think nothing was worse than Watergate. In the 21st century, however, we have seen two R Presidents who showed how wrong that is.

You are absolutely right, though. The J6 Committee has got to come up with a barnburner of a case that stamps the entire Republican party. Otherwise, this won't work

[brooklynite]

7. The electorate wasn't divided as tribally as it is today; nor were the districts as gerrymandered

[MerryHolidays]

11. Very fair point.

My counterargument is that J6 was so incredibly awful when compared to Watergate that a compelling case by the J6 Committee will make folks wake up.

As we've seen, even Kevin McCarthy, four days after the insurrection, was caught on a recording that Trump should resign in the last 10 days of his Presidency. I think most Americans, except the extremely rabid ones, were shocked too that this could happen. The gaslighting allowed him to resile from that correct stance, and that shock has worn off for the less rabid ones.

I am hoping that the J6 Committee can douse that gaslight. It's a tall order, I fully admit.

[lees1975]

4. I agree.

They're already putting the mechanisms in place to overturn legitimate elections, because they can no longer win without cheating the system. Gerrymandering has gone as far as it can go because the majority of voters, especially in Presidential years, can't be isolated any more.

But all this conspiracy theory crap and the social agenda stigmatization and attacks has its limits. Virginia has had a Republican governor for just a few months now, but I'd bet that if that election were held now, he'd lose big. They're tired of him already and Desantis and Abbott are both struggling with their approval. Abbott may have sunk his election boat with the truck inspection disaster for which he was fully blamed and Desantis just attacked Disney.

This is a midterm, so turnout will be key and if the Democrats have all of this motivation, they won't need to convince too many Red state voters to join in, though I hope they do anyway.

[Magoo48]

5. I doubt it's "the" pivotal point, but J6 certainly is an important canary in democracy's mine.

If J6 withers and dies from lack of fresh air and sunshine, it strongly suggests we lack the motivation to fight for what’s left of our Democracy.

[retiredgeek]

9. We will be fine...

Despite the rehortoric from both parties, which is in my opinion overblown, the mid terms will no doubt result in some losses for the Democratic Party, the country will continue on. What needs to happen is for people to stop re-electingthe over the hill politicians. Until we retire these fossils we will continue to see the crazy partisan politics we now see as the old dinosaurs don’t want to give up power. Never mind doing what is good for the country and it’s citizens...the old pharts just want to score talking points without actually doing something.

Most Americans do not follow politics that closely. They just want a stable society, a functioning govt. that does what “We the People” want done. Politicians need to be reminded that they work for us....and they are not infallible.

[Stinky The Clown]

10. Oh wow! So the issue is OLD PEOPLE!! Got it. Check. Roger Wilco.

Fossils. Geezers. Yeah. They're the issue.

By the way, welcome to DU.

[retiredgeek]

13. Old geezers...oh my😀

Being a geezer myself I can speak to the fact that I have lost a few steps over the years. So looking at all of the old folks we have in Congress who are supposedly our leaders I’m betting they have lost a few steps as well. Now experience is fine but at some point they need to retire and relinquish power to the next generation. I really don’t want an 88 year old senator making policy decisions that could lead to war, a recession, or some other potentially bad outcome. Just because they have seniority does not mean they are always right about issues.

I will vote for and support any candidate that is younger with hopefully fresh ideas and not the same old recycled ideas our old career politicians trot out every election.

[Novara]

12. During the last six years we've seen people disavow the facts right in front of their own eyes

When faced with real, solid, evidentiary truth they don't like, they will deny reality. We've seen way too much of this over the last six years. It's a sickness, it's insanity, it's a cult. Nothing will get those people to see truth.

And then there are others who've watched this train wreck get worse and worse over the same period of time, who absolutely know there was an attempted coup and a violent insurrection and all these motherfuckers should be held to account.

Neither of these two groups will change their minds based on the hearings and testimony and revelations.

However, there are still people who haven't paid a whole lot of attention and haven't invested much thought about any of this. They steer clear of politics because they don't care about much except for their own little worlds. I think these people can be reached if the committee presents its case well. Now, remember the second impeachment? Remember the video of the violence? I do. It was really well done. They have the capability to present this well, and I think they'll do it. My hope is that the hearings will be rebroadcast in prime time for people who can't watch them during the day, like Watergate in 1973. THAT is how to reach people. However, in 1973, we only had three channels on TV so Watergate was impossible to miss. They have to make this riveting.

So the pressure's on. The hearings better be as explosive as Raskin says they will be. That's the only way to reach people who aren't invested yet. It's the only way to push the needle.

[MerryHolidays]

14. Spot on.

It's that middle group that I am hoping we can connect to.

But, as you say, it has to be explosive. The 2nd impeachment was compelling, but I wished the Senate, in particular, had gone further. But I suppose it was so recent and Trump was on his way out (kinda').

Our hopes for that nation do rest on the J6 Committee for sure. I don't think that's hyperbole. Right now, the conditions are not terribly favorable for us.