The impending impeachment fiasco reveals a fundamental problem with democracy

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Ex-President Trump is due to be tried in the US Senate on the charge of inciting an insurrection. This event happened in full view of most of the Senators who will form the trial jury, and yet a substantial number of them appear to be willing to acquit Trump of the charge, despite all the evidence to the contrary. When you look at the names of the potential acquitters, you find that many of them will be facing re-election in two years' time, and their prime motive for taking the line they do has absolutely nothing to do with the rights or wrongs of the case in front of them but everything to do with their own narrow interests. In other words, it is all to do with politics and their fear that diehard Trump supporters will oppose them by voting for other candidates in state primaries. This is where the notion of democracy has a problem. Politicians who seek re-election - to whatever post it might be - seem to have one overriding consideration - namely not doing anything that will jeopardise their chances next time round. This leads - for example - to short-termism, in that you avoid supporting measures that will have a long-term benefit but cause short-term pain. It would help enormously if we had a more sensible electorate, but that is obviously far too much to ask!