Speaking of needing to step off the stage

We have watched every minute of the Congressional hearings into Jan. 6, and they make for riveting TV. It's too bad more Americans can't say the same, but I get it. Watching even recorded versions of the hearings requires investing nearly 20 total hours, and there are new shows on our hundreds of streaming services each day. Who has time?

Fox News, of course, was too afraid to even show most of the hearings to its tender viewing audience of sheep.

The teaching point from the hearings is about the importance of sharing clear narratives and including a wide range of sources in our reporting. There have been a few "star" witnesses, of course, but mostly a viewing of all the hearings in order reveals the fact that most of our complex stories require a range of input, and a range of angles, to be anywhere near complete. Minor characters can make important points and advance the plot.

For an online reporter, one nice insight is in how the committee wove multimedia into the narrative, not relying on merely writing a report or even narrating aloud. Yes, there were various narrators, each with distinct voices, but it's tough to beat "you are there" video for strongly supporting your arguments.

That is why a "great" web post needs to include visuals (and video is the most powerful) but also features strong reporting and writing, structured in a way that draws the reader along the narrative's path.

The hearings even featured "cliff hangers," of sorts, usually from Rep. Liz Cheney, the vice chair. Just as this works in episodic TV, the point is to whet viewers' appetites for the next chapter.

I have no idea if any significant legal action will result from all this, but the hearings are damning on the most important level: the former president is a selfish, childish, and pompous jerk who shouldn't be trusted with any authority over anything. He is a horrible excuse for a human being, much less a nation's leader. 

The law is always nuanced and rooted in technicalities, but our gut reactions should be trusted on some things. This is one of those times. The man is appalling.

Not only is he a traitor to the idea of the American Constitution, but he is sloppy, vengeful, and manipulative. I want to pile criticism on his clueless cult followers, but at some point we need to get over the whole "how could you have supported this sorry human?" question and focus on the individual who cast the spells over millions.

Yes, I am disappointed that so many (maybe?) normal, hard-working Americans, often claiming deep religious belief, can still support, rather blindly, a man who redefines downward the term "flawed."

But I suspect that the former prez is a unicorn and that whatever his attraction may be for some people, it ends with him. Remove him from the political stage and much of America's angst diminishes, at least enough to allow more civilized conversations.

It won't solve our problems and won't lead to a resurgence of, well, anything. But there is a reason we lock away murderers and psychopaths and incorrigible criminals. Some people must be separated, even if just for a short time, from the rest of society. 

It would be nice to see the former prez tossed in a minimum security facility for a year or so, but better would be to simply establish that he can never run for office again. 

Jailed, he is a martyr and there is always the chance for him to return with even more fanatical supporters.

It's not morally or emotionally satisfying, but it would be better for the country to simply remove him from any future candidacy. 

It's hard to imagine too many non-cultists disagreeing.