It was a nothing burger, and was actually common place behavior for each party to try and garner intel on the opposition party. This had actually been the 2nd break-in at Watergate. That was because the bugs planed from the 1st break-in didn't work after a period of time. So the 2nd break-in occurred, June 17, 1972, to fix the bugs but that time they were not as successful. If the equipment had not failed, it would have never even been part of history. Unfortunately it was, and the Democrats cashed in big time, and the Republicans have still never recovered from it. That is my biggest regret of the whole Watergate affair.
If Nixon had just not tried to coverup the event, it would have turned into a non-event as well.