Trump gets to leave office with the bare minimum of bad press, keeping most of his money, and salvaging most of his reputation within his predictable base. He'll be able to start Trump TV and cash in, but his political influence will end outside of that narrow demographic.
Pence will live on in the history books. By dodging most of his complicity and doing a very Christian thing as President, he'll probably still be able to rake it in on the speaking circuit.
Republicans will also minimize their losses. If they take advantage of this relatively turnkey rebirth opportunity, particularly by claiming a moral uprising within their ranks, they can hang onto the possibility of retaking at least some power before the tangible improvements that Democrats will deliver will have had a chance to kick in. This will require purging a few of the old-guard figureheads.
While Democrats may have come away with more if they'd let Trump and the GOP crash and burn, the costs of that slow option pile up daily. One needs to look no further than Syria to see what future tragedies might lay ahead otherwise. But in this deal, all coconspirators such as Barr and Giuliani will be fully exposed and imprisoned.
Clearly, this won't feel like justice being served on Trump to any satisfying level. But much like hitting our heads against the walls, it will feel so good after it stops that sheer relief will offset years of acute frustration.
Most importantly of all, America wins. We demonstrate some semblance of justice; how a strong democracy can prevail over a corrupt man with no conscience at all. We will also signal to other nations that the rise of tyrants and authoritarians worldwide can be turned back by the will of the people and the rule of law.
Although the costs of these compromises can be great, the path to a more honorable and trustworthy democracy could start this month. Imagine how happy tens of millions of Thanksgivings could be if this plays out.
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