The recent spat of political theatrics on display would make even a high school drama club roll their eyes. It all started with a video from a group of former military Democrats, endeavoring to send a “message” using their military credentials. Now, one would expect that if something was truly as pressing or virtuous as they claimed, they’d have gathered bipartisan support. Yet, the utter absence of any Republican veterans co-signing this supposed clarion call makes one wonder if sincerity was truly on the agenda.

However, what’s most laughable is the notion that this video could seriously influence military personnel—trained professionals well-versed in discerning lawful from unlawful orders. It’s like offering swimming lessons to a dolphin. But of course, this drama wasn’t about delivering any groundbreaking insights. It was a classic act of virtue signaling—an attempt to posture as defenders of democracy while achieving next to nothing in practical terms.

One cannot help but chuckle at the amateur production values of the whole affair. It’s as if they pooled their pocket change together to produce a video intended to scare local high school students into doing better in social studies. The only threat it poses is to the credibility of those behind it. It’s akin to watching a group of toddlers fashioning a cupcake tower with glue sticks—admirable effort, to be sure, but ultimately, it’s an indulgence in futility.

In their quest to be the loudest voice in the room, these Democrats missed the mark entirely if they thought bloviating cloaked in grave overtones was going to incite heroics amongst the ranks. Perhaps they should consider hiring a comedy writer to help them realize just how unserious they appear. Instead, they’ve managed to turn a moment of supposed earnestness into a live-action roleplay in tragicomedy—minus the comedic charm.

So, while they sit comfortably in their appointed offices wringing their hands over what message they might inadvertently be sending to our international adversaries, the rest of us are left to shake our heads. Accusations of sedition, clearly an outcome of paranoia over playing soldier on a political battlefield, are thrown around like confetti at a parade. One thing’s for certain—as we move forward, they’ll need a much more compelling script to engage the American people. Until then, they might as well stick to rehearsing these lines at the local community theater.