Some---even some on this board this evening---have complained that the Democratic House Managers

[Atticus]

were "boring".

If your heart is so calloused and your soul is so dead that you did not get a lump in your throat and a tear in your eye---maybe feel those hairs on the back of your neck rise--- as Adam Schiff gave that closing---------------------you have my sympathy.

[mcar]

1. +1000!

We are watching history unfold. I was a young teen during the Nixon impeachment and remember watching what I could of it. It wasn't all fireworks and dance numbers. It was dry, lots of "boring" facts. But it was real. Even then, I was aware of the import of the moment.

Shame on an Democrat who complains that this isn't exciting enough. They are feeding into RW talking points.

[madaboutharry]

2. I think the same, Atticus.

This isn’t suppose to be entertaining.

This is about our country.

Adam Schiff was so moving in his speech. He is now America’s conscience.

[bdamomma]

3. Amen

we are fighting for the soul of our country....as Elijah Cummings said. This is serious.

[brooklynite]

4. I'm guessing that the 8 hours of reading before the stirring close had some impact...

[Atticus]

13. Of course. I hope you are not being disparaging---as some here have---when you say "reading". It

would be unrealistic to expect each manager to be able to speak for several hours without a script or notes.

Adam Schiff is obviously a gifted speaker, but the other six are no slouches. They have performed admirably and have done the blocking and tackling which set the stage for Schiff's impassioned gallop through the Republican line.

[lastlib]

17. I'm one who has said that Mr. Schiff could be a little more excited during his presentations

But I won't hesitate to say his summations have been rhetorically BRILLIANT! --- ---

[brooklynite]

26. No but neither am I under the illusion that the Public is watching spellbound

Most people Ren’t watching this at all. They’re seeing some snippets on the news.

[cynatnite]

5. Powerful closing. Not boring at all. nt

[LiberalFighter]

6. What I heard and saw yesterday and today was not disappointing.

I would had preferred there was no impeachment. Meaning that Trump was performing the job the way it is suppose to be.

But since the scumbag is not fit to be President he needs to go. And the House Managers are imo out-performing expectations. And doing so with blocks standing in their way.

They are heroes in my mind and I'm sure for many others. Now and in the future.

[cyclonefence]

7. Never mind

I didn't see any posters complaining that the proceedings were boring. Maybe I have all of them blocked.

I did complain that Rep. Garcia was hard for me to listen to. I did not find her boring, maybe just talking too fast.

on edit: I spoke too soon.

Nothing to see here.

Sorry.

[pangaia]

8. I have this fear that once trump becones king,

Schiff will be one of the first imprisoned... i do not joke...

[wnylib]

47. My concern, too. I fear thst he will follow through

with his previous threats to charge Pelosi and Schiff with treason for 'attempting a coup." He might include others in his lashback for the impeachment and trial after he is acquitted, e.g. Nadler, Schumer, and witnesses who testified at House hearings. Perhaps the Bidens, too, with charges of corruption to bolster his own charges about them that were exposed as false.

I am hoping it won't happen. But I fear that it could, given his temperament and vindictiveness. It is what somebody seeking to secure a position as unchallenged, absolute authority would do.

[Mersky]

9. Not boring

Is too important and well-presented to be boring.

[Haggis for Breakfast]

59. Precisely !

Also, people must remember that the average American does not have 8 hours to sit in front of the telly /b] and listen to the entire effort. They catch 15 minutes here, drift in and out when they can, pop in for 20 minutes after work/dinner/picking up the children/walking the dog/getting groceries/gassing up the car . . . . So, salient points must be repeated. Additionally, everyone knows that the more often you repeat something, the better chance you have of it settling into the minds of those you're trying to reach.

Repetitive ? Yes, by necessity.

Boring ? Not on your life.

This is history and we are living it. Years from now, we will all look back at this and remember where we were when this all unfolded.

[Mersky]

60. I am in a position to compress my daily obligations to the morning, and

Shove off the extras (laundry can wait!) to participate in documenting from the distant gallery seats. I’ve missed swaths, but I have to see/report as much of this as possible. Am a visual person, so recording it on DU helps me really absorb it.

And I’m ready for the republican BS brigade!

Is just too important to not get in it as much as possible.

Boredom hasn’t been an issue, I’m in this - I am interested.

[Haggis for Breakfast]

61. Interested and INVESTED !!

One day, our grandchildren will ask us where were when this impeachment took place. Where were we ? GLUED to the telly !!

[Mersky]

63. Lol, I was gonna add, invested!

Cuz I am. Will do pavement pounding for GOTV and I’m eyeballing a couple of campaigns. DU is engagement, too.

I do want to be able to retell this history of how this all happened for long as I’m around in this planet!

[dweller]

10. ...

People are wrong to say that we have no heroes left.
Just as they have always been, they are all around us,
choosing to do the right thing, no matter what.

Given my role here, how should i behave?

✌🏼

[Me.]

11. +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

[greatauntoftriplets]

12. I've been asked why I'm watching it multiple times.

I tell them that it's history in the making, and important. Mostly the questioners shrug. Whatever floats their boats, I guess.

[Leghorn21]

14. And *just like that* "RightMatters" is trending at #4

”You know he’s guilty. You know you can't count on him. None of us can.”

– Adam Fucking Schiff

Link to tweet

[lunasun]

15. This !

[greenjar_01]

16. To be fair

Some those folks spend 99% of their time bagging on Democrats, period, so....

[ancianita]

18. The bored are boring. Any ADULT witness of the brilliant work to save this country is never boring.

[ProudProgressiveNow]

19. KR NT

[patphil]

20. On of the greatest speeches I have ever heard.

I heard John Kennedy say, "Ask not what your country can do for you, but what you can do for your country".
I heard Martin Luther King say "I have a dream".
Adam Schiff's words on the Senate floor tonight were right up there with those great moments in American History.

Long after the likes of McConnell , Graham, Cruz, and the others of there ilk are gone and forgotten, Schiff's words will live on.

Patrick Phillips

[wnylib]

48. Ditto. i, too, have heard the greats, and Adam Schiff

is right there with them.

[turbinetree]

21. K&R +1

[Demonaut]

22. it makes me sick to see those critical of this process

[ismnotwasm]

23. Yup.

[No2Trump2]

24. WOW, A question I had has been answered

I expect our convention to be deadlocked. I wondered who could be the candidate who could unite us without bitterness. I now have my answer: Adam Schiff for president.

[yaesu]

25. Its not that they are boring, they are doing an excellent, professional job, I think its more like

watching a movie that you have seen before, know how it ends, and we know how this movie ends, the bad guy gets off scot free.

[maryallen]

27. Absolutely!

The Managers have been terrific. Schiff said all the right things.
For our "bored" members, get back to me when the GOP offers their remarks. No gifted orators in that bunch.

[Historic NY]

28. Are they there to entertain you...

would you like a song and dance.

[guillaumeb]

29. They were incredible. eom

[scheming daemons]

30. Anyone calling this boring is literally a troll

This has been more riveting that a West Wing Greatest Hits DVD.

[marble falls]

31. The managers are not here to entertain us, they're here to save the Republic ...

I hope everyone reads your message.

[H2O Man]

32. Recommended.

Thank you for this. I agree completely. That seemed strange to me -- but to be fair, I do not remember ever being bored in my long life -- as I find history fascinating. And impeachment trials are pretty rare.

[Tech]

33. I am tired of the circus like reality show that we have been subjected to for the

past 3 years. We need sanity, we need maturity, we need humanity, and most of all we need Trump and all those left who support him to be gone. It calmed me to witness our Democratic reps the last few days. It gave me hope that there is a chance to salvage our country.

[BigmanPigman]

34. Hear hear.

I think the country has been conditioned to want a 3-ring circus every time they turn on the TV, no matter what is on. I think the overall attention span of humans has shortened considerably. Is it due to TV or smart phones? Who knows, but I do know what it is like trying to keep someone's attention for a long period, or even a short period, of time. As a teacher I know it is exhausting and doing it over a course of several days is somewhat deflating. I applaud the Dems for their brilliant work!

[seta1950]

35. Well said

How can anyone be bored😠

[cilla4progress]

36. "Attending" is a marker in infants.

And so it is, I suppose, in adults!

[ooky]

37. I haven't been bored.

Think they've done a fine job. Schiff has been terrific.

[SunSeeker]

38. But how about actually posting (in your OP) the Schiff speech you're talking about??

Link to tweet

[Duppers]

39. +100, Atticus.

[Tipperary]

40. Someone actually called them boring?

Glad I missed that.

[NCLefty]

41. Next to "Real" Housewives and Netflix, sure... totes boring. #murca

[Ilsa]

42. I was spellbound.

Listening again on MoJo.

If it wasn't raining, I'd put out my flag for the first or second time in 3 years.

[Raster]

43. This was anything but boring, which is also a direct lift from Fux...

...If you're on DU and can't help yourself in spreading rethuglican* propaganda (it was so boring), may I suggest you try another message board, you know, one that might better suit your "proclivities."

[jdl123]

44. impeached

I'm an older person, my attention span isn't what it used to be. I watch bits and pieces of the Democrats presentation. In the evenings I watch cnn or MSNBC to get the thinking on the days revelations. When it is the republicans turn, I won't watch any of that, I don't want to listen that BS. Well, my hearing is no good, I read the CC.
No impeached President has been convicted by a senate controlled by his party. It is what it is. Try to vote the republicans out of office, is all I can do.

[cry baby]

45. A.M.E.N.

I’m riveted!

Trump is impeached. Thanks to the true patriot souls in the House of Representatives!! They are truly inspiring.

[BlueMTexpat]

46. + a million! eom

[fifty8bar]

49. RIGHT MATTERS!

battle-cry of every man, woman and child that still loves this country and believes in the Constitution.

[wnylib]

50. If people are looking for reality TV entertainment,

which is far from reality anyway, then perhaps that's how we got to this point in the first place. This is as real as it gets.

[wryter2000]

51. Good Lord

What do they want? Screaming? Naked ladies? Profanity? Murder and mayhem?

[Nevermypresident]

52. +1000

[dewsgirl]

53. I saw that thread yesterday.🙄

His speech was beautiful, one of the best speeches ever.

[LakeArenal]

54. I think mostly boring. But it is history in the making.

The nuggets,though, pure gold.

I also think most are not paying attention because they have their minds made up and have to deal with their own life stuff.
I think this is for exactly who it’s for, the supposed Senate jury. Expound on every fact, factoid, sentence, word and letter of the Repulsive Republican Conduct. They have to face it. They are all complicit.

Every time one of them illegally leaves tells me what’s left of a soul or spirit is making them uncomfortable.

[Bettie]

55. I think they are doing a fine job

some are better speakers than others and frankly, some of the material is, by necessity, not super exciting, but a lot of really important things aren't exciting "made for TV" events.

The importance of this can not be overstated. Boring/not boring doesn't matter in the least.

[stillcool]

56. If someone wants theatrics...

they can watch the Republicans. It's sounds like it came from Chuck Todd.

[liberalla]

57. Far from boring!!! huh?? WTF !

scratching my head...


I've been riveted to the trial... either listening to npr or watching on TV if not at work. Even though I know most of the information being presented, I am not bored at all!

Bravo to the House Managers!

[YOHABLO]

58. Those are the same people who think reading the Constitution is boring.

When I went to DC not long ago, the first thing I wanted to see was the original Constitution, where it was kept and all. It's a moving experience. Everyone should make that pilgrimage.

[Kingofalldems]

62. One in particular demanded impeachment for months on end.

[VOX]

64. The "boring" schtick is a big, fat RW talking point, and is thus antithetical to DU.

It should only be brought up in the context of trashing the living crap out of it.

Thank you Atticus, for posting.

[burrowowl]

65. Cato the Elder, Cicero, etc. Boring?

Schiff was gripping!

[orleans]

66. link

https://www.c-span.org/video/?468451-1/senate-impeachment-trial-day-5

[Caliman73]

67. The curse of intellect v. entertainment.

I would stipulate that we as a species, like to be entertained. However, I understand your frustration. The fact is that legal matters, policy matters, and politics can certainly lack the drama of a train wreck or a fight, or sporting event.

I truly get a bit down when I see people who are so versed on the lives of celebrities, or who know all of the statistics of their favorite football teams, but they know little to nothing about who their state and federal representatives are, what issues are being legislated in their city, county, state, or nationally.

I am by no means a political junkie, but politics has a profound effect on our lives, much more so than who wins the Superbowl or the Oscar or Golden Globes.

This impeachment should have way higher ratings than any of those events.

[greyl]

68. Yes, aka Wisdom v. Celebrity.

Being an expert on sport stats is thought by some to equal valuable wisdom and a central aspect of their self-worth, uggh.

Robert Pirsig's Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance followup Lila delved into this conflict. In it, Pirsig refers to his non-fictional meeting with Robert Redford about film rights to ZAMM and expounds on how celebrity short-circuits critical thinking. Trump's popularity depends on this. Without the celebrity aspect, he'd not be POTUS.

*Full book name is Lila: An Inquiry Into Morals

[Aussie105]

69. Describes my reaction accurately.

Schiff was pleading, trying to appeal to their patriotic side, to not let the Republic slide further into the dark hole of dictatorship.

[PCIntern]

70. Boring?

It’s not a fucking James Bond movie! Jesus...

😡

[WinstonSmith4740]

71. SO true!

What the hell is it that people have to be constantly entertained in every freakin' aspect of their lives? The Mueller Report TOLD us a lot of this stuff, but Mueller was "dull" in his presentation, so nothing he said counted?

Schiff was absolutely riveting. Unfortunately, 53 people in his audience had their fingers in their ears, and their eyes closed.