As powerful as witnesses would have been at the impeachment trial,

[dlk]

Testifying would have put a target on their backs that deranged Trumpers would be only too happy take shots at. House Democrats made the right call and gave us a powerful presentation without witnesses, and without risking further loss of life.

[Squinch]

1. I hadn't thought of that. You're absolutely right.

[dlk]

4. We are fortunate to have such wise and compassionate leadership in the House

[Irish_Dem]

2. That has been my point, they would have been torn to shreds.

[dlk]

5. Exactly

[Irish_Dem]

7. The managers knew what they were doing right down the line.

[dlk]

10. Yes

[Wounded Bear]

3. All the video and audio of actual Trumpers outing themselves was pretty effective anyway...nt

[dlk]

8. The House Managers have put on a stellar case

I couldn’t be prouder of the Democrats. They survived this trauma and came back to prosecute their case in a most effective way.

[SCantiGOP]

6. A decision to call witnesses can still happen

A timeline on CNN says that the matter can be brought up during the Q&A that will take place after the Trump defense finishes their testimony tomorrow or Saturday.

[dlk]

9. Even so, I don't see Democrats taking the risk

I could be wrong.

[Wounded Bear]

11. I agree, though. Neither side wants to drag this out...

Dems have shit to get done, and repubs are just bored with it all.

[dlk]

12. Exactly

[kentuck]

13. Same as if there is a jury trial....

The jurors will be threatened and will fear for their lives.

[lagomorph777]

14. There are 100 witnesses present. Anyhow, video is vastly more compelling than witnesses.

[dlk]

15. Our House Managers presented an excellent case

[lagomorph777]

16. +1000

[StarfishSaver]

17. They also would have been cross-examined by defense counsel and Senators

The last thing these people need is to be put in the position of getting publicly badgered and abused by Ted Cruz and Josh Hawley.

[dlk]

19. Agreed, they have been traumatized enough

Questioning by hostile Republicans, not to uncover the truth but to score political points, would only retraumatize witnesses and become a distraction. This isn’t a normal trial, as evidenced by Republican senator jurors colluding with the defense counsel.

[StarfishSaver]

18. I do, however, have a fantasy scenario

That right before everything wraps up, Jamie Raskin takes to the podium and says, "Mr. President. The House Managers call a rebuttal witness ...

Whereupon, the Sergeant-at-Arms steps up and bellows: "Mr. President. The former Vice President of the United States, Michael Pence!"

The doors swing open and Mike Pence strolls down the aisle.

A girl can dream ...

[dlk]

20. Yes, that would be quite a dramatic moment!

No telling what kind of sycophantic nonsense he would actually say, though, and it’s very odd he doesn’t seem to notice his Republican friends have no regard at all for his life.

[StarfishSaver]

21. Since it's my fantasy scenario, I get to script it

And in my script, Pence has had a complete change of heart, realizes he was abused and manipulated and almost killed by Trump and his supporters. So his testimony will be so devastating that the Senate will convict Trump by a vote of 96-0 (Cruz, Hawley, Graham and Tuberville were lured out of the chamber on a ruse that Trump wants to meet with them at the Trump Hotel. so they missed the vote while riding around in a car driven by a Capitol Police Officer only too happy to do this duty for the country).

[dlk]

22. Perfect!