The Senate impeachment vote this week ultimately felt like an afterthought amidst a crazy political week, overshadowed by the chaos of the Iowa caucuses and the State of the Union. Of course, the outcome was never in doubt. And the only surprise was that Utah Sen. Mitt Romney, the party’s 2012 GOP presidential nominee, bucked his party on one article and voted to convict President Trump.

Romney won’t face voters again until 2024, and in Utah — perhaps the most Trump-skeptical red state there is — he may not be punished. But every other Republican that will be on the ballot this fall with Trump in the toughest races voted, unsurprisingly, to acquit.

It’s not surprising that each appeared to make the same political calculation: crossing Trump and upsetting his devoted base would have no political upside, only possibly drawing primary opposition and doing little to woo crossover voters. It’s the same reason that the top Democratic candidates in the most competitive Senate races also announced they would also have voted to convict Trump.

Ultimately, even on just

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