On the surface, the Democratic Party had a strong case when it initiated an investigation into President Donald Trump’s alleged quid pro quo with Ukraine. A whistleblower reported ethical violations within the Trump administration. Key witnesses, including Purple Heart recipient Alexander Vindman and U.S. Ambassador to the European Union Gordan Sondlund, condemned the president’s actions while under oath. Of equal importance, Democrats seemed to be operating on a moral high ground.

Fast forward three months and the Democrats’ failure to convict and subsequently remove Trump from office appears to have sabotaged their election chances. 

The Democrats’ quest for impeachment was a staggering miscalculation. Rather than successfully remove Trump from office, the Democrats paved the way for Republicans to illustrate the impeachment as a premature experiment aimed solely at impacting Trump’s legacy. And that was the plan all along. So long as Trump’s defense team could depict the Democrats as shamelessly looking to override the 2016 election results under the guise of pursuing justice, the Republican Party could deflect any negative publicity back at the Democrats. 

Of course, that’s not a statement on Trump’s innocence or guilt–it’s difficult to argue that 18 separate testimonies from state actors with intimate knowledge of the proceedings within the Trump Administration didn’t at least warrant an investigation and fair trial–but it opened the door for the Republican Party to cast the Democrats as desperate opportunists looking to overturn the will of Americans. 

Furthermore, while it’s an ambitious request to ask political moderates to believe that an innocent man would seek to block firsthand testimony that would theoretically exonerate him, the Democratic Party grossly underestimated the uniformity of the Republican Party. 

From the onset of the impeachment inquiry, the Republican Party was transparent about their willingness to defend Trump. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell vowed “total coordination” with the White House, willing to violate his congressional oath for the sake of defending Trump. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) rejected any allegation of Trump’s wrongdoing, vehemently defending the POTUS and his position. It was an impressive, nearly impenetrable display of unity from the Republican Party.

But the Democratic Party hasn’t displayed the same uniformity, instead succumbing to an astounding level of infighting. 

Make no mistake about it, intraparty disagreements are healthy and suggestive of constructive dialogue. In theory, political factions are not supposed to logroll until a consensus is formed. In practice, however, successful parties often benefit from cooperation and cohesion. 

The Democratic Party has suffered as the far-left level an assault of its own moderate faction. The overzealous Democratic quartet known as The Squad–Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.), Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.), Ayanna Pressley (D-Mass.) and Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich.)– have all but alienated those who don’t align themselves with the most ambitious of leftist politics, creating an unmended fissure within the Democratic ranks. And while they’ve managed to remain visible, The Squad has accomplished little beyond providing Republicans with ready-made soundbites for Republicans to endear themselves to moderate conservatives fatigued by Trump.

Additionally, 2016 presidential runner-up Hilary Clinton accused 2020 candidate Tulsi Gabbard of being a “Russian asset,” prompting the latter to seek damages worth $50 million. 

Elizabeth Warren accused Bernie Sanders of demeaning women in politics, claiming that Sanders told her that a woman could not win the presidency. The two were then caught bickering after the Jan.14 Democratic debate. The hostile exchange between two Democratic frontrunners was an ugly display of the fissure that exists within a party that began its primaries championing cohesion. 

Finally, the Democrats are slowly forfeiting their moral high ground.  While there are many voters who will never forget the scandals that Trump has been involved in– his “grab her by the pussy” comment; his attempts to disqualify the LGBTQ community from the protections of the Civil Rights Act of 1964; the neo-Nazi marches under his campaign slogan; the administration’s attempts to justify depriving immigrant children of basic amenities; and his dismissal of the brain trauma suffered by U.S. soldiers at the hands of Iran stand at the forefront of the mind–Trump has essentially inundated Americans with so many embarrassing moments and comments that no single misstep receives the attention it deserves.  Trump’s antics are an exhibition of such thorough incompetence that it actually works in his favor. 

Meanwhile, video of Biden–whose lifelong stuttering problem has resurfaced in recent debates– gloating about his own quid pro quo against Ukraine has surfaced, diminishing the Democrats’ perceived moral superiority. 

An old essay written by Sanders titled “A Man — and a Woman” sees Sanders contend that women “fantasize about being raped by three men.”

Warren’s inconsequential claim of Native American ancestry now looks like a shameless attempt at identity politics following her baseless claim against Sanders, a claim that provided her campaign with no benefit, instead casting her as a greedy identity politician.

The Democratic candidates have sabotaged their own platform with needless infighting for the sake of gaining a political advantage. With the Republican Party displaying their willingness to insulate Trump from accusation or ramification, the smallest of divisions can prove catastrophic for the Democratic Party. 

As the Iowa Caucus debacle forces voters to reconsider whether or not Sanders was a victim of internal corruption in 2016, the Democrats face an uphill battle to reestablish credibility. An embarrassing display of ineptitude that temporarily lowered the Democrats down to the subterranean standards applied to Trump, the Democrats desperately need to regroup and rediscover the unity that they promoted throughout the past four years.

While it’s possible that the mobilization of a never-Trump movement could provide the Democrats an advantage in the upcoming election–their resounding victory to flip the House of Representatives may be indicative of general fatigue toward Trump’s antics– an Election Day victory seems more and more improbable as the days pass. 

Enjoy this article? Check out some of the NEIU Independent’s other political opinions:

Opinion | The Trump Administration has adopted the Southern Strategy

Opinion | Shooting down gun law misconceptions

Opinion | Trump’s economy is an extension of Obama’s

Opinion | Rejecting discrimination against the LGBTQ+ community