It was obvious when the Capitol riot took place on Jan. 6, 2021, that its aftereffects would last for a long time. The prosecutions alone would be lengthy, and indeed, they are still underway and will be for the foreseeable future. Politically, from the beginning, one party, the Republicans, had an incentive to move on, while the other, the Democrats, had an incentive to dwell on Jan. 6 for as long as possible.