The definitive answer to whether Donald Trump should be disqualified from running for President
The Colorado Supreme Court goes there.
Ever since the Colorado Supreme Court dropped its bombshell ruling - which would even prohibit write-in votes for Trump being counted - yesterday, I’ve been racking my brain and drawing upon my vast knowledge of constitutional law to determine if the decision is legally correct, and after a lot of thought and deliberation, I’ve come to this conclusion:
America is kind of in uncharted territory here, at least for the first time since the Civil War, and I’ve seen many commentators whom I respect and trust on both sides of the issue.
Even the Colorado Supreme Court, whose members were all appointed by Democratic Administrations, was divided 4-3, and high courts in other (not Red) states have passed on making similar rulings (though largely on procedural grounds, aka “technicalities”). I won’t be surprised if SCOTUS strikes this down, with more than six Justices in the majority.
Trumpers and anti-anti-Trumpers, needless to say, are calling this a banana-republic move to disqualify the Orange God-King because he threatens to win and bring down the Deep State. This time for sure after he failed so spectacularly the first time around.
To give credit where it’s due, I think Ed Morrissey makes a fair point here:
Trump faces several criminal charges related to January 6, but they haven’t yet gone to trial. Legally he is innocent until proven guilty.
I don’t know if that’s the same standard to be applied for this specific constitutional issue - Bill Mitchell, of all people, points out that the wording of the 14th Amendment says otherwise - but I’ll play ball. For sake of argument, I will agree that unless and until Trump is convicted of an insurrection-related charge, he shouldn’t be disqualified from running again.
But that goes both ways: if he is convicted, the people making this very argument will have to concede that it’s perfectly valid and constitutional to strike him from the ballot.
Am I right? I mean, I’m suuuuuuuuuure Republicans are debating this issue in good faith, right?
With Trump, regardless of the outcome of this or any other issue before election day 2024, or after, it's heads he wins, tails the country loses, because of Republican lies, Republican bad faith, Republican lickspittle servitude to MAGA and Trump, and the Big Lie Redux on Steroids if Trump loses the general.
This guy and his proto-fascist movement are like those bacteria that are resistant to any and all antibiotics. They will keep gnawing at the flesh of the republic, win or lose. Don't know what it will take to kill them off (metaphorically speaking), but until a cure is found, the country had better develop the ability to grow a thicker hide. And pronto.
Ed Morrisey is as wrong as that fuckwitted politically-illiterate fool always is. The Constitution of the United States covers ALL THE DAMN COUNTRY.