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| Manhattan District Attorney, Alvin Bragg (NBC) |
I can’t really argue with that as a general principle. But every once in awhile there is a greater good whereby a minor crime should be overlooked. Simple common sense should kick in and pull the brakes on prosecution. When the greater good involves avoiding violence by masses of people. I would think a minor crime should not be prosecuted. The age old adage of ends not justifying the means is not absolute. This is clearly the case now with respect to the indictment of former President Trump.
No, I am not defending him. I’m sure he is as guilty as sin (pun intended). His then attorney and fixer, Michael Cohen, paid about $300,000 in hush money to a porn star in exchange for her silence about an affair his boss, Donald Trump, had with her. Trump reimbursed Cohen for laying out that sum and wrote it of as a legal expense.
As I understand it, New York state law considers this crime a misdemeanor. Whether there are other charges related to this is not known at the moment since the incitement is sealed. But whatever they are I doubt they are all that serious. That there are other charges being investigated that are far more serious is irrelevant to this case.
The spectacle of a former President being fingerprinted - and having mug shots taken of him is unprecedented. Never happened in America’s entire history. The problem with this indictment is is that it could easily spark the kind of protests experienced on that fateful day in January of 2021. That this is a very possible consequence is evidenced by the fact that the New York Police Department will be deployed in full uniform across the entire city. Especially since Trump has called upon his supporters to protest this indictment. We all know what happened last time he called for a protest!
There are 2 possible reasons for that.
The hatred by the left of Trump is enormous. The left wants to destroy any possibility that he will run and might actually win. As unlikely as that may be, why take chances? Let’s just throw as much mud on him as we can and hope he will not even be nominated - let alone ever be President again.
But I think there is another more sinister reason.. A political one that is counterintuitive. I believe it is quite possible the left actually wants to fire up his base. They actually want him to win the Republican nomination. That will just about guarantee that Biden will win a second term. Any other Republican candidate would stand a fair chance of beating Biden. On the other had Trump does not stand a chance at a second term. Not after January 6th. Not after being indicted for a crime. Sure - his MAGA base will be all fired up. But a lot of his former supporters have jumped ship. That's why he lost the last election. After January 6th I’m sure a lot more have joined them. And with this indictment and a few more serious ones hanging over his head a lot more will join them.
The mainstream Republicans that supported him because of his conservative polices one can easily find a number of conservative candidates that will fill that bill. The MAGA Republicans that are sticking with him till the bitter end are not as big as people might think. But they sure are the noisiest.
As for DA Bragg... What a feather in his cap this will be. No one has ever heard of him til now. But he will now go into the history books as the first DA in history to indict and try a former President of the United States. This is a legacy moment for him.
Well, what I would say to Mr. Bragg and company is - be careful for what you wish. If Trump is nominated because of theses shenanigans, and I am wrong about his chances, he might just surprise everyone - including me - and win. God forbid.
Just some of my quick thoughts.