This was an insightful dialogue, and yet I think it misses one of the very large elephants in the room: the only real constituency that genuinely wants to put Trump behind us is the non-Maga wing of the Republicans. It is up against not only the Maga wing of its own party, but also the Democratic party as a whole, which has cravenly denounced Trump from one side of its mouth and supported Maga candidates in primaries (to the tune of $40mm so far in this cycle). Why? Because they need Trump as a foe, they know he is uniquely toxic to swing voters, and his disappearance from the scene would make their electoral challenges much stiffer. Biden's address earlier this week simply reinforces this strategy; he is successfully turning the midterm into a choice (between himself and Trump) rather than a referendum (on himself). While this serves his near-term electoral prospects, it's deeply cynical in terms of real vision and leadership.
We will rid ourselves of Trump when we truly deny him oxygen. He is a dumpster fire, and fires go out when you cut off the oxygen -- not when you raid their homes for questionable purposes, fund the fire's regional candidates, and make the fire the central topic in an election in which he is not even on the ballot.
It was a very informative discussion. Much more balanced than I’ve seen elsewhere, but it still misses the essential concern all of us should have....
Is this about a substantive violation of the rule of law or about “Trump” and his personality and his antics? I agree thinking thru the consequences is essential...
No one picked through Obama’s or Bush’s underwear like what’s happening to Trump. Raiding his accountants, lawyers and anyone else around him? Think about it...really step back and think about it...every single person is under the microscope? Hummmmm...
One could argue that Bill Clinton came closest but that’s still a far cry from what the feds are doing to Trump and his associates.
People are quickly coming to the opinion that there are two systems of “Justice” in America -- one for Trump supporters (see Biden’s recent Philadelphia speech) and one for everyone else. Check out the sentences being handed out to January 6th defendants versus ANTIFA. These harsh sentences are not punishment -- they’re messages and the judiciary and federal prosecutors have said exactly that. That’s not Justice. That’s a political statement disguised as a judicial action. So everyone is seeing that there’s definitely a red-line, but that line is completely different dependent on the politics of the person offended and the majority of Americans believe that to be true. This will not end well...
To speak to one point Mr. Linker made, in my view, it is not demagoguery to point out to ordinary people that they’re being played by and for the benefit of the entrenched political establishment.
Just listen to Joe Biden:
- “you ain’t black if you don’t vote democrat.”
- “MAGA-supporters are semi--fascists.”
- “I want to be the President who brings us together.”
Why assume that the jury will be composed exclusively of Democrats and Republicans? I would think that the kind of potential jurors most acceptable to both the prosecution and the defense would be unaffiliated voters. Yes, some of them might still have a pro- or anti-Trump bias, but if they don't have a history of party involvement, they're less likely to have a tribal loyalty to one party or the other. (I know people who would no more vote against a Republican than they would cheer against their state university's football team.)
I don't see Linker addressing the possibility--make that the near-certainty--that if Trump isn't prosecuted, his followers will take that as "proof" that he's innocent, be just as certain that he's being persecuted, and be just as furious.
This was an insightful dialogue, and yet I think it misses one of the very large elephants in the room: the only real constituency that genuinely wants to put Trump behind us is the non-Maga wing of the Republicans. It is up against not only the Maga wing of its own party, but also the Democratic party as a whole, which has cravenly denounced Trump from one side of its mouth and supported Maga candidates in primaries (to the tune of $40mm so far in this cycle). Why? Because they need Trump as a foe, they know he is uniquely toxic to swing voters, and his disappearance from the scene would make their electoral challenges much stiffer. Biden's address earlier this week simply reinforces this strategy; he is successfully turning the midterm into a choice (between himself and Trump) rather than a referendum (on himself). While this serves his near-term electoral prospects, it's deeply cynical in terms of real vision and leadership.
We will rid ourselves of Trump when we truly deny him oxygen. He is a dumpster fire, and fires go out when you cut off the oxygen -- not when you raid their homes for questionable purposes, fund the fire's regional candidates, and make the fire the central topic in an election in which he is not even on the ballot.
It was a very informative discussion. Much more balanced than I’ve seen elsewhere, but it still misses the essential concern all of us should have....
Is this about a substantive violation of the rule of law or about “Trump” and his personality and his antics? I agree thinking thru the consequences is essential...
No one picked through Obama’s or Bush’s underwear like what’s happening to Trump. Raiding his accountants, lawyers and anyone else around him? Think about it...really step back and think about it...every single person is under the microscope? Hummmmm...
One could argue that Bill Clinton came closest but that’s still a far cry from what the feds are doing to Trump and his associates.
People are quickly coming to the opinion that there are two systems of “Justice” in America -- one for Trump supporters (see Biden’s recent Philadelphia speech) and one for everyone else. Check out the sentences being handed out to January 6th defendants versus ANTIFA. These harsh sentences are not punishment -- they’re messages and the judiciary and federal prosecutors have said exactly that. That’s not Justice. That’s a political statement disguised as a judicial action. So everyone is seeing that there’s definitely a red-line, but that line is completely different dependent on the politics of the person offended and the majority of Americans believe that to be true. This will not end well...
To speak to one point Mr. Linker made, in my view, it is not demagoguery to point out to ordinary people that they’re being played by and for the benefit of the entrenched political establishment.
Just listen to Joe Biden:
- “you ain’t black if you don’t vote democrat.”
- “MAGA-supporters are semi--fascists.”
- “I want to be the President who brings us together.”
And yet Trump is branded the demagogue....
Why assume that the jury will be composed exclusively of Democrats and Republicans? I would think that the kind of potential jurors most acceptable to both the prosecution and the defense would be unaffiliated voters. Yes, some of them might still have a pro- or anti-Trump bias, but if they don't have a history of party involvement, they're less likely to have a tribal loyalty to one party or the other. (I know people who would no more vote against a Republican than they would cheer against their state university's football team.)
I don't see Linker addressing the possibility--make that the near-certainty--that if Trump isn't prosecuted, his followers will take that as "proof" that he's innocent, be just as certain that he's being persecuted, and be just as furious.