That title is not clickbait… It is my firmly held belief, and I’m seriously relieved to finally get this off my chest. Now, this is not some new idea that suddenly popped into my head. I’ve pretty much felt this way since all of this unpleasantness began.
With all the hoopla that’s been swirling about the recent J6 revelations and the increasing calls for a DOJ indictment I figure it’s high time I clue you into the reality of this situation as I see it...
“Blessed is he who expects nothing, for he shall never be disappointed.” — Alexander Pope
“If you expect disappointment, then you can never really be disappointed...” — Michelle Jones-Watson, Spider-Man: No Way Home
First off, Trump is one of the most lawyered up and legal wrangling weasels to ever sully this flying space rock we call home. Any prosecution of this magnitude will be tied up in court for years if not decades. If Trump is indicted tomorrow we will see years of obfuscation, delay, and pre-trial bullshit before any trial ever actually begins. Afterward, IF he actually is convicted, there will be years more of appeals which will in all likelihood eventually end up before his hand picked toadies on the U.S. Supreme Court… That is, if the next Republican president doesn’t pardon him first.
Secondly, Trump is a septuagenarian who eats junk food daily and has demonstrated questionable judgement in choosing his physicians… I’m just saying the mofo could keel over at any minute. I’m surprised it hasn’t happened yet to tell you the truth. I’m not holding my breath, though.
Third, I think if he is indicted he’s going to flee the country. Dude will be sipping tea at one of Putin’s dacha’s before the ink is even dry on his arrest warrant. He’s got the money and the connections. He knows all the best people… Don’t doubt for a second that it’s already planned and every possible contingency accounted for.
Fourth… Let’s presume for a second that he doesn’t bolt, and neither the Supreme Court nor a future president lets him off the hook. If he is convicted and sentenced to prison, he STILL won’t go to prison. A “VIP” like a former president would likely end up on some type of home confinement, so his lifestyle will likely change very little. In a worst case scenario for Trump, he MIGHT end up at one of those cushy “Club-Fed” institutions… Highly unlikely for a former president.
Finally, indictment and conviction do not guarantee that Trump cannot be elected president again. But, but, but… What about the 14th Amendment? I’d like to refer you to my first point above... And now we’re back amid a shit ton of lawyers and some asshole activist judges once again. Don’t say it can’t happen…
We need to have realistic expectations. Quit hanging all your hopes and dreams on Trump going to prison. It’s never going to happen, not they way you want it to…
So what’s the point? What does this all mean for American democracy in the grand scheme of things? Well to start with we can stop laying the whole damned thing on Merrick Garland’s head… He’s got a job to do and he’s doing it to the best of his ability. He’s damned if he does and damned if he doesn’t. One way or the other some segment of the population is going to hate him for all eternity. Our democracy is NOT in the hands of a single man...
There is only one thing that can be done to save this nation of ours as we know it, and if you’re reading this you’re in the right place to start… GOTV! If you don’t know what that acronym stands for, then you haven’t been reading the right diaries around here... “GET OUT THE VOTE!”
Talk to your friends, family, and neighbors. Volunteer for a campaign. Do some canvassing. Donate to candidates of your choice. Become a poll worker. Fill out postcards. Make phone calls. Do whatever you can. Do it now!
Don’t wait for Donald Trump to go down in flames or for the Attorney General to suddenly turn into Obi-Wan fucking Kenobi… People like you and me are our only hope… So get off your asses and start doing something… Anything!
If you don’t know how, here are some helpful links shamelessly stolen from Yosef 52:
The Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee
The Democratic Senate Campaign Committee
The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee
The Democratic Governors Association
Democratic State Party websites
The Democratic Volunteer Center
Knock Every Door (canvassing for Democratic candidates)
Voter Registration
Online voter registration (ACLU)
Register and Vote in Your State (IMPORTANT! HOW TO BECOME A POLL WORKER!)
Pre-Registering Young Voters
GET OUT THE VOTE (Official Democratic Party page)
GET OUT THE VOTE—Swing Left
GET OUT THE VOTE—Progressive Turnout Project
GET OUT THE VOTE—National Democratic Training Committee
GET OUT THE VOTE—Vote Forward
Democratic Volunteer Center
Voters of Tomorrow (VITAL!)
Don’t get me wrong, I’d love to see it as much as anyone… I just don’t think it’s going to play out that way. I’m not saying he’s untouchable, I’m just saying that the perp walk in the orange jumpsuit and leg shackles is pure fantasy.