The Former President’s Felony Conviction

Progressive New York County DA, Alvin Bragg, takes a victory lap (USA Today)

The longer I live, the more convinced I am that one’s politics defines one’s truth.  A truth each side will see with absolute certainty. Which of course means that the actual truth may be as illusive as ever. This has once again been demonstrated by the public reaction to the guilty verdict of former President Trump.

I am not saying that he is not guilty. He probably is. Technically. What I am saying is that the reactions to that verdict were entirely predictable and the exact opposite between supporters and detractors. .

If you are a Trump supporter you have just witnessed the political trial of the century. A former President was convicted of a crime that nobody cares about. He paid off a porn star to keep her quiet about an affair they had? Does it surprise anyone that someone would want to keep that information quiet? That is what he was convicted of on 34 counts. (One for each of the 34 payments he made to his former lawyer, Michael Cohen as a reimbursement for the money he paid out of his own pocket to that porn star.)

Of course the Trump haters will say that it isn’t about that. It’s about the fact that he ‘cooked the books’ to hide those payments as a legal expense for purposes of hiding it from the electorate. Which according to New York State law is considered an illegal campaign contribution and a felony. So now barring being overturned on appeal we have a convicted felon running for  the highest office in the land – who might actually win.

Trump haters are outraged by that. Understandably so.

Trump’s supporters will say that the crime he has been convicted of is so ridiculous that it is laughable. Bringing charges against Trump for paying off a porn star about an affair they had was nothing but pure politics. And nobody really cares that he did that. Polls taken immediately after the verdict was read yesterday indicates that the conviction will not sway the vast majority of the electorate one way or the other. If anything it will only energize his supporters.

Trump haters (which include the prosecutors in this case) keep saying that his conviction proves that no one is above the law and justice has been served. The implication being that anyone voting for Trump will be voting for a convicted felon. Trump supporters will say that another Biden term will cement progressive influences into the country for generations to come. Which will mean the end of America as we know it. 

Trump haters are saying the same thing about another Trump presidency. Only instead of villifying progressive values, conservative values are villified as ancient relics of an unjust racist past 

It’s easy to see what side the mainstream media is on. Every media pundit has treated Trump’s felony conviction as though he was convicted of being a serial killer. They are beside themselves with worry if Trump is God forbid re-elected. How can any decent American elect as president a man a convicted of a felony? (They may as well say serial killer) They may not be saying those exact  words. But their attitude speaks volumes.

The mainstream media virulent anti Trump attitude long precedes this trial and all of the charges and pending trials against him.. They have hated him form the moment he first announced he was running for president in 2016

When one harbors such strong biases against a presidential candidate it is not that difficult to understand why they are painting his felony conviction as though he was convicted of being a serial killer. They do not want to see him elected. They do not want to see any of his policies re-enacted. With this felony conviction they have a non political issue they can use to convince  Independents, fence sitters, or conservative voters who might like Trump’s policies, not to vote for him.  

If you are a Trump hater you genuinely see Trump’s felony conviction as a win for Democracy. That no one is above the law. Not even a former president running for re-election!

If you are a Trump supporter you see it as travesty of justice brought about by a political prosecution. And that even if he is guilty, it doesn’t matter because - look at what he what he actually did?  He may have committed a crime. But the crime of the century it was not. It doesn’t matter a bit to the Trump supporter that it is technically considered a felony.  He paid off a porn star because he was embarrassed and wanted to hide it from the public? Who cares? 

To the Trump supporter, this is all really about politics. The more Trump haters try to smear him, the more Trump supporters will support him. 

Where does the truth lie? The two versions are not entirely contradictory. He can be guilty of a felony and yet still be a hero to his supporters who like his policies and disregard this particular felony -  considering it a nothing-burger.

There are a lot of reasons not to vote for Trump. His low moral character, subtle appeal to White Supremacists, and questionable business ethics being among his many faults.  Faults that would have ordinarily prevented anyone else like that from getting the nomination for president let alone get elected. But the same thing is true for Biden albeit for different reasons. (All one needs to do is go to the grocery store to see why) 

We are living in strange times. I may just have to sit this election out – for the first time in my life.