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Republicans Bail on Democracy...Again [1]

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Date: 2023-08-26

Frankly, this is NOT my story. I’ll put the link here. It is Ruth Marcus’s.

Surprisingly, it comes from the Washington Post.

I’ll give her credit. I could not bring myself to watch the Republican debate.

What this is, is an opportunity for Democrats, should we choose to use it. We already knew that Trump does not believe in Americans enough to trust their vote. The Republican debate proved that almost all of the Republican presidential candidates believe that as well. Now, we know that neither Trump nor his fellow-travelers believe in Americans ability to make judgements in criminal cases.

I am guessing that if you asked any of these candidates what they they believe about the American justice system is that it lets too many guilty people get away with crimes. They may be right. It is hard to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt. So, if Trump is found guilty, It means he was found guilty by a jury of Americans beyond a reasonable doubt.

Frankly, I find this hard to imagine. In a country as divided as it is, trying to find twelve objective jurors strike me as a feat worthy of Merlin. Does anyone think every pro-Trump member of a jury pool will all admit to that bias while being questioned on their ability to be objective? Heck, I am not sure I trust our guys and gals.

But to admit prior to a trial that one should ignore a verdict of guilt is telling. It is an admission that they think first, all Americans who do not agree with them are the enemy. It is an admission that they think the law should not apply to people who disagree with any aspect of it.

So, how do we use this. Go public. In any public setting, ask any Republican candidate, “Do you think that the burden of proof is too high for proof of guilt in America? Do you think too many guilty people get away with, for example, murder? “Do you think that generally, Americans are not tough enough on crime?” I suspect they will say, “Yes”. This seems hard-wired into today’s Republican culture.

Then, ask about Trump’s conviction(s). To be more specific, ask, “What about Trump’s convictions?”

Follow up by asking how he (usually, given the Party’s bent) thinks twelve jurors could all agree to Trump’s guilt beyond a reasonable doubt? The final follow-up question would then be, “Do you trust Americans, or democracy itself, at all?

It will be fun to watch him squirm.

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[1] Url: https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2023/8/26/2189754/-Republicans-Bail-on-Democracy-Again

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