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The verdict heard around the world will cast a bolt of lightning on our politics as those on the left applaud and those on the right unite and rally even more around former President Donald Trump.
The question now is this: Does the verdict weaken Trump or strengthen him further? The early results seem to indicate that, rather than revealing Trump as a scoundrel, the verdict suggests to many that the rule of law is in danger, if a leading political candidate can be indicted by opposition prosecutors and convicted of invented crimes to that purpose. Thirty-four felonies for a $130,000 payment made seven years ago don't seem reasonable.
I opposed the Republican attempt to use Bill Clinton's personal life to impeach him, and this attempt to use Donald Trump's personal life to imprison him is no different, but it has more far-reaching consequences. Clinton gained seats in the midterm elections after the impeachment and, at least immediately afterward, Trump is winning more energetic and angry voters.
TRUMP SAYS GUILTY VERDICT IS A 'SCAR' ON NEW YORK JUSTICE SYSTEM, PROMISES TO 'KEEP FIGHTING'
Prosecutors trotted out a cast of steamy, seedy characters and sold the story that somehow the election was stolen for failing to disclose a payment to former adult film star Stormy Daniels as if there was any right or urgency to know about the personal lives of candidates and this is what voters make their decisions on.
However, the jury did not learn that even if the payment was a campaign contribution, it would not have been revealed until AFTER the election, so there could not have been a conspiracy to affect an election that had already passed. Hillary Clinton violated campaign laws by paying for the Steele dossier (which was a campaign expense) and hiding it under legal payments; She and the Democratic National Committee were fined $113,000 for that offense, compared to 34 felonies committed by Donald Trump.
And this is ultimately what angers voters: the idea that there is one system of justice for some and another for their choice if it's Donald Trump.
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The statute of limitations were annulled; misdemeanors were elevated to felonies; jurors were given a menu of potential crimes rather than a specific crime; and witnesses were restricted in their testimony.
And the trial was held in New York, and what a jury with a family could have been the one to uphold the acquittal of Donald Trump. Once the press or a blogger revealed who they were, they would have had to move to Iceland.
We asked voters in last week's Harvard CAPS/Harris poll what they would do if Trump were convicted, and they said a conviction in this case would make no difference. We'll see if that prediction comes true in the coming weeks. The best Democrats can do now in this case is say “the jury has spoken.”
Partisan statements will only increase anger and cause the boomerang to increase. Many Democrats believe Donald Trump is a criminal, but those voters were already in the Democratic camp. Middle voters seem to focus not on the trials but on issues like inflation and immigration. Ironically, the president's son is scheduled to go on trial next week.
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Our justice system simply cannot function in this way where political advocates can spout accumulated lies about charges to weaken the opposition presidential candidate.
I think January 6 was a stain on democracy, but this is also a stain: we must let the voters make the decisions and respect them when they do so.
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