The decision will be regulated more by the comparative strength of parties, than by the real demonstrations of innocence or guilt

You got to hand it to the Founding Father's. They had a beady eye on reality.

From The Federalist Papers Number 65 by Alexander Hamilton. Published Friday, March 7, 1788.

The whole things is worth a read given the sophistication of his thinking, but this seems especially timely.

A well-constituted court for the trial of impeachments is an object not more to be desired than difficult to be obtained in a government wholly elective. The subjects of its jurisdiction are those offenses which proceed from the misconduct of public men, or, in other words, from the abuse or violation of some public trust. They are of a nature which may with peculiar propriety be denominated POLITICAL, as they relate chiefly to injuries done immediately to the society itself. The prosecution of them, for this reason, will seldom fail to agitate the passions of the whole community, and to divide it into parties more or less friendly or inimical to the accused. In many cases it will connect itself with the pre-existing factions, and will enlist all their animosities, partialities, influence, and interest on one side or on the other; and in such cases there will always be the greatest danger that the decision will be regulated more by the comparative strength of parties, than by the real demonstrations of innocence or guilt.

Indeed. We are in a period where cognizance of facts and pursuit of truth are entirely dispensable as politicians clammer for power regardless of cost.