I watched All The President’s men this week twice. The conclusion I came to was having been born in the 80’s, a Political Science Major at NYU, a lawyer, and news Junkie, was that I knew NOTHING about watergate.
What I knew prior was probably able to be summarized as “It wasn’t the break-in it was the cover-up”.
I knew about the tapes. I knew about people’s indictments. I knew about the resignation, Woodward, Bernstein, Deep-Throat (I knew he was Mark Felt), and the anger over the Pardon.
What I did not know was this was not just a singular event.
I’ve learned who John Mitchell was since the Mueller report essentially.
I am going to Postulate that millenials know far less than I ever did. Also, the more you know or endured the saga the more you see the same themes of a Constitutional Crisis, need for removal from office, applying as already having been decided.
I don’t know what this means. I would guess if this was closer to watergate people would have no tolerance whatsoever.
I think the other factor for at least some Millenials in their 30’s and perhaps Gen X is Clinton’s impeachment.
I was lucky enough to have a father I remember saying during those lovely Christmas Eve’s with Second and Third Cousins saying loudly and often “There are two types of People in the World. People who care about others who are Democrats and people who don’t Republicans.”
Suffice to say that even very young I saw Lewinsky, etc as a total joke.
Our experience then is in a Clinton impeachment. Our connotation of Impeachment is Partisan and over the Definition of “sex” ( if I recall correctly I don’t personally think he lied, they didn’t ask him a good question).
I don’t know the poll numbers for younger voters. But through this lens I am guessing we are generally at odds with impeachment because of our experience of it as a side-show.
I don’t know what an answer is Realistically, and it may not matter. But, I can say to assume that we know who John Mitchell is how long it took, just how corrupt everyone was, how it was a fight for the first Amendment in some regards, and showed the possible consequences of Abuse of Power — to Assume that would be a mistake.Knowing that would help draw parallels and be educated about what a “good impeachment” looks like.
Maybe seeing that movie, it should be digitally remastered in Theaters. maybe a very clear scorecard sort of chart comparing the two thus far.
But, suffice to say I can tell you a lot of the references are lost on us. People know a lot less than me. And thinking of impeachment as stained dresses and absurd wastes of time are not going to help sell the future of what need happen.
Good Impeachment v. Bad Impeachment does I am sure matter.