Senate Republicans refuse to do the one thing that would put Trump in the rearview mirror, which is to convict him in the upcoming impeachment trial. Convicting Trump would bar him from ever running for office again. That’s as close to a clean slate as Republicans will ever get, even though they don’t deserve it. Taking away that ability from Trump de-fangs him. Without the threat of running for office, he can’t make good on his threat to start a third party — or won’t, as Trump doesn’t do anything that isn’t centered on himself and his ego. Without the ability to run for office, the playing field opens up for all those other Republicans with dreams of running for president in 2024. So why won’t they do it?

Republican Senators aren’t beholden to their base — they’ll acquit Trump because they agree with him | Salon.com