Donald Trump is a felon x 34 who cannot get a real job with his conviction: He is unfit to run for any office

I Will not Vote for a Convicted Felon- By J. E. Dean published in the Talbot Spy

#TrumpIsUnfit  America must wake up to who Trump is. 

I hear Ronald Reagan muttering from his grave, “There he goes (telling lies) again,” but I like to think that Reagan would agree with me that a convicted felon does not belong in the White House.

In the past, the Billy Bush Access Hollywood tape, boorish behavior, racist comments and actions, and a lot more convinced me candidate Trump was finished. This time, it is Trump’s 34 felony counts that convinces me that his reign of terror may be over.

A poll suggested that Trump remains ahead of Biden,❗ 😞😰but that Biden’s favorability ratings continue to improve while Trump’s ratings decline. Whether Trump’s drop in favorability is solely because of his felonies is unclear. 

Trump continues to focus on his legal problems at campaign rallies. He also continues to make bizarre comments about sharks, electric cars, and a lot more.

Trump railed against a contractor who supplied teleprompters at a Las Vegas campaign rally held in 100-degree heat, suggesting that their work was “sh*tty.” When several attendees needed medical help because of the heat, Trump lamented that there was not enough concern about him. He also told the audience that January 6 was a “set-up” and that the insurrectionists were victims. 😖

Trump’s continuing mental decline may yet be what costs him the election, but Democrats are focusing on the ex-president’s criminal record. They have been quick to resurrect Donald Trump’s 2016 comments where he told voters a candidate under criminal indictment should not be allowed to run for president. 

In 2016, Trump told attendees at a Reno, Nevada, campaign rally: “Folks, folks, folks, she shouldn’t be allowed to run. If she were to win this election, it would create an unprecedented constitutional crisis. In that situation, we could very well have a sitting president under felony indictment and, ultimately, a criminal trial. It would grind the government to a halt.”

Trump added, “Her current scandals and controversies will continue throughout her presidency and will make it virtually impossible for her to govern and lead our country.”

Hillary Clinton, of course, was not under indictment, but Trump’s message helped taint Clinton and rally his base. The statement is also an example of a rarity: Trump was telling the truth. He was right–a candidate who faces criminal charges (let along having been convicted of them) should not be president.

Trump’s legal problems are not limited to the “hush money” felonies. He also has been labeled a rapist by a New York judge and fined millions of dollars for business fraud and for defaming Ms. Carroll.

Importantly, there are many reasons why Trump should not be returned to the White House that have nothing to do with the ex-president’s convictions, indictments, and judgments. 

For example, his policy positions, threats of retribution against his political opponents and persecutors, racism, and declining mental ability are enough. But ask any Trump supporter if they still intend to vote for Trump, and most will respond yes. That is why Democrats are focusing on the convictions. As James Carville once said, “Keep it simple, stupid.”

While a criminal conviction is an obvious disqualification for the presidency for me and many of us, it may take a special effort to convince Trump supporters to change their minds. One 2020 Trump voter I spoke to last week responded to my question of whether a felon belonged in the White House by updating me on the Hunter Biden trial. Did I know about Hunter Biden’s crimes? Trumpers like first names, Hunter Biden is always “Hunter” just as Hillary was always “Hillary” or “Crooked Hillary.” The Trumper ignored my response that pointed out that Hunter is not running for president.

Recently, a group of anti-Trump Republicans posted billboards in Arizona depicting Republicans who “won’t vote for a convicted felon.” I expect the billboards will cost Trump some votes. Who wants to admit they want a criminal in the White House?

Not every Trump supporter will see the billboards, but television ads, social media posts, and references in campaign speeches will follow. Direct testimonials from fellow Republicans who will not vote for a convicted felon will cost Trump votes.

Will Biden’s emphasizing Trump’s criminal convictions be enough for Biden to win? That remains to be seen. Trump fights fire with fire, so expect him to respond to efforts to undermine his candidacy by attacking Biden. Thus, we will hear more about Hunter Biden’s guilty verdict and Joe’s cognitive decline. We will also be reminded that if a re-elected President Biden dies in office, Kamala Harris will be president.

I plan to continue to write about Trump’s convictions. If you pour enough water on a duck’s back, some of it will stick. I really do not care if Trump goes to jail. I am not interested in retribution. I want him out of the White House. I am okay if he lives out his days cheating at golf, railing against Democrats, and predicting an economic collapse caused by another election being stolen from him.

J.E. Dean is a retired attorney and public affairs consultant. He writes on politics, government, and, too infrequently, other subjects.