Sweetness

Yesterday, May 30, I was reminded of this famous Doonesbury cartoon.  Amazingly, it appeared almost 51 years ago to the day.  May 29, 1973.  (You can even see the day in the first frame.)

 
No analysis today, there has been plenty of that since yesterday – detailed and excellent.  But instead, a bunch of observations.
 
This wasn’t just finding Trump guilty of a felony, but guilty on all counts, 34-0.  And each count had to be unanimous, 12-0.  Beyond a reasonable doubt.  So, that’s a vote of 408-0.
 
As I wrote here the other day, if there was an early verdict, I couldn’t imagine it not being guilty.  And this was an early verdict.  And so, when I heard the verdict was in, I felt very confident it could only be guilty.  I didn’t know it would be 34-0, and there was still a wariness until the verdicts were read, but it seemed improbable that there wouldn’t be at least one guilty verdict.
 
This is a New York State verdict.  Even if hell happens and Trump wins – he can’t pardon himself on a state verdict.
 
“When is Trump going to finally face consequences??!!” at last has an answer.
 
Many people were concerned that this case, the least important and seemingly weakest charges of all his indictments, was not only going first, but might be the only case before the election.  It turns out that those worries are unfounded.
 
Since the trial began, Trump has kept saying that having the trial in New York City was unfair because he only got 5% of the vote there in 2020.  In fact, Trump got 23% of the vote in New York City in 2020.  (And he only needed one juror to vote "not guilty."  Not all 12.)
 
Trump had no obligation that he had to testify, the burden was entirely on the prosecution to prove its case.  But Trump did have the right to testify and refute all the testimony against him.  He himself chose not to.

Whatever happens the rest of the campaign, Trump is now officially a convicted felon.
 
Almost all Republicans are okay with the leader of their party, their presidential nominee, being a convicted felon for election fraud.  Also found liable by a jury for the equivalence of rape.  And found guilty of business fraud.  This is not about Trump, we know who he is.  This is about today’s Republican Party.  Once upon a time, the supposed "Party of Law and Order".  Now fascist.
 
I’ve long written that there are two questions that should be asked at the presidential debate which will be deeply difficult for Trump to answer, and which he will likely melt down over on live national television.  One is “Who won the 2020 election?”  The other is more dicey to ask, “Mr. Trump, how you do convince people to vote for someone found liable for what the judge wrote was the equivalence of rape?”  However, now there is another, similar question that is not dicey to ask – “Mr. Trump, how you do convince people to vote for someone convicted of 34 felonies for election fraud?”
 
Trump has been found liable by a jury of rape.  Found guilty of business fraud.  Found guilty of 34 felonies for election fraud.  Had his charity foundation shut down for a “shocking patten of illegality.”  It’s one thing to shout that "this is a rigged trial!" at an individual trial.  At a certain point, however you have to make the decision that you will continually cry “sham trial” every single time Trump is convicted and convicted and convicted and discredit yourself by carrying the heavy burden that you think it's okay to support a candidate relentlessly convicted in court, or finally realize and accept that the person who you support is a criminal.

Now, add Trump's officials Paul Manafort, Roger Stone, Steve Bannon, Rudy Giuliani, Mike Flynn, Rick Gates, Peter Navarro, George Papadopoulos, Allen Weisselberg, Jenna Ellis,  Sidney Powell and Kenneth Chesebro -- and Michael Cohen -- who have all been already adjudicated guilty of crimes.  At what point does a "law and order" Trump supporter stop crying "sham trial" and accept that the world of the convicted felon they defend is overpopulated with criminals??
 
It is fair to be angry about court decisions.  But just because you don’t like a verdict, that doesn’t invalidate it.  Nor make it a “sham trial,” a “rigged trial.”  You either support the U.S. justice system, one of the three branches of the U.S. government, or you don’t.  You can't be for "law and order" except when verdicts go against you, in which case it's "a sham."  Trying to discredit and undermine trust in the justice system is one of the core tenets of fascism.
 
Yes, the trial was held in Manhattan.  That’s where the crime was committed.  That’s how it works.
 
The Trump defense team had a right to help pick the jurors they wanted.  They did so.  And the jurors voted unanimously that Trump was guilty on all counts, 34-0.
 
Happy Walter Payton Day.
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