History and politics has always held Papa’s interest. Which takes us back to 1956. I remember two items from that time frame. One was a comment my father made and the other was the novel “The Last Hurrah.” Both involved aging politicians. What my dad said is most relevant to recent events. At the time your Papa had limited experience with old people. There of course was my kindly grandfather and my curmudgeon grandfather. And, old Mr. Thomas who walked by our house on 76th street flashing a smile and wave as he steadied himself with a cane. Of course I saw other old folks who I figured were born before 1937 or so “down by Gimbels” or in church.

Election year 1956 saw a young, energetic man take on a sitting US Senator in Wisconsin’s Republican primary. There was very much a call for “new blood” by the challenger. Alexander Wiley had served three terms in the Senate. I believe it was the Milwaukee Journal that featured a front page photo of the senator a day or two before the primary election. He was walking down a long, dimly lit corridor with a window in the distance. The picture was taken from behind and the senator had his head down, shoulders slouched forward and with a short stride. The image had a being put out to pasture aspect to it. I remember my dad commenting that the photo would garner sympathy and help Wiley get re-nominated. Which he did. His regular election defeat of a future Milwaukee mayor was easier than the primary. That year was the last time a republican carried Milwaukee County in a statewide election.

”The Last Hurrah“ featured the final election campaign of an old warhorse in machine politics. I remember it as a good read. As was the movie shortly there after featuring a great Milwaukee born actor. Without tv, radio or internet I can’t offer judgment on last week’s debate. However, the end of the road feel reminded Papa of 1956 except that the protagonists then, physically feeble as they were, had enough mental acuity left to be credible candidates. It’s hard to gin up sympathy for a lost soul I’m reading about in post debate comments. {NY Times? Wow} Back to whales and sunsets.

Yikes! One political side, unable to conceal glee, announces that the pure as snow jury system has spoken. The American justice has worked. It is a testament to truth and justice. A convicted felon cannot be elected US President. Dare they say “convicted felon” again and again until the cows come home? The haters love the cable outlets with 24/7 condemnation. It feels so good to have one’s brilliance confirmed every other second.

Another political viewpoint is that the trial was all rigged. The fix was in. This verdict, like all other charges against the former president, is political lawfare. The American justice system has been soiled. The stain will not be removed unless Biden is voted out of office. How dare these hooligans tarnish America’s greatest president since Lincoln.

Life must be very comforting for simple thinkers. Our man good. Your man bad. However, it may take some time to see how the jury’s verdict shakes out with the voting public. There will be more and more polls. So far it appears the verdict helped in fund raising. Going after a candidate with at least some contrived charges always seemed ill advised. (Nearly 100 counts.) Yet, they charged ahead with a court case that has overturned written all over it. I assume the democrats figure that it’ll be after the election before the case is reversed. So what? in their minds. The election will be over and a felon will not have been elected. Unless, of course, all this legal targeting strikes a negative chord with independent voters.

Hold your breath. We may not be done yet. It’s not possible that the New York judge would impose a jail term on a past president/candidate is it? Talk about tempting the voters sense of American fairness. I’m a bit surprised that it has not happened yet but I assume a legal path out of the state jurisdiction will be pursued. It appears violation of constitutional rights exists and a decent argument can be made that an outcome down the line (After election) is another dagger at the constitution. Maybe Trump is waitng for things to develop/sink in. Maybe the trigger would be pulled if he’s given a jail term. MARTYR in caps for sure. More polls and polls and polls.

In 2016 some chanted “lock her up” in reference to Hillary. After the election Trump said in an interview that was not his goal. He said he’d not want the DOJ to go after her. He said the people would not want that. Noble in some respect. However, soon there was an inference that the Russians acted to elect Trump which was followed by a Mueller investigation and two impeachements. Just before the 2020 election the Biden laptop contents were dispaaged and declared to be Russian dis-information and that stance was underlined by candidate Biden in a debate. Recently the laptop was verified as authenticate, found not tampered/changed and admitted into evidence by a federal judge at Biden boy’s trial. Over and over the democrats push the test of America’s sense of fairness. Who knows if another attempt will suceed? If a jail sentence is being contemplated it would not shock me. Will the polls, up or down, push the legal proceedings?

It’s way too early to predict anything. Summer is starting. Papa will take leave of the craziness and contemplate eagles and whales and sunsets. September is the start of football season. I can start to think about politics later. Legal stuff can also wait. It’s not the end of America because a NY verdict is suspect. It’s not like juries/trials are always correct and now there has been an earthquake that shakes our constitution to its roots. It’s a good system and I always did my best in my roles to seek justice. However, nothing is perfect.

Mistakes can and do happen. That’s a prime reason I don’t like the death sentence. Rigged, unfair things have happened before. {To Kill A Mocking Bird…Atticus’s client was found guilty. Or, Scottsboro Boys} The New York circus matters little to this writer. For sure neither candidate is worth my vote. The current guy is a clear and present danger. A timid administration may be playing as if it’s Machiavelli’s double but it more likely is testing the brink. Which doesn’t automatically lead to a vote for someone Papa does not feel is worthy. It’s my vote and I prefer not to contribute to electing just anybody a main political party puts forward or the lesser of two evils.

Papa’s state bar membership dues statement has arrived. It has appeared like clockwork for fifty-six years. Retired and no longer needing bar status I still pay my membership level because I believe in supporting an organization that promotes professionalism. I’ve always been proud of my state and I feel it is a proud distinction that I was admitted to its bar. I’ve been exposed to many jurisdictions at the military, federal and state levels. There is a bit of a hodge podge in the quality of the legal profession across this country. Most have been good in my experience. I classify Wisconsin as top shelf. ( As it is “in everything” I can hear the cynics say.)

Almost a year ago I joked that the anti-Trump politicians might hit 100 indictments. Overall they came up a bit short. However, my prediction that there was a danger of casting Trump as a victim seems more clear now. If one is to go after someone, political targeting being a dubious move in any event, it would have been a good idea to hone in on a few select charges. Solid evidence would have helped. And, of course, having competent attorneys act as hatchet women/men would be high on a list of qualifications. Clowns, grifers and bozos need not apply. However, so far it has at least been entertaining.

The current trial has also caused some of my atrophied legal brain cells to revive long enough to remember the olden days. Jury trials. (See the movie “Twelve Angry Men”…sorry RO it was filmed in black and white.) I always appeared for a jury duty summons. At times I had legitimate excuses for an excuse and knew there was little chance I’d be selected. However, I wanted to be a part of the justice system to keep balance. I defended enough criminal cases to want a decent mix of citizens for jury duty. Fairness in due process is crucial. Thus, I’d show up and leave it to others whether I’d make a jury. Never did. If you are ever called to jury duty I recommend trying not to avoid it. It is an essential part of citizenship.

News reports from the Trump trial make mention of sleepiness during court sessions. I was always happy to be a trial attorney because you have to be on stage all the time. Not so for most others at a trial. That can also be true for a judge. Judicial rulings/interactions during a trial can be few and far between. I recall a county judge back home who dosed off in a jury trial. It made the news. I felt bad for him as I knew him to be one of our better judges. Who was really mad about his lapse was the jury. After all the jury missed work or their daily routines to show up and stay awake. Years later that memory prompted Papa to have a paper clip on hand to press into the palm on hot, muggy afternoon sessions. May not have been the best judge but I was awake.

Soon a New York jury will hand down its verdict. In my experiemce there is no higher high than a positive verdict for a trial attorney. A low can go pretty deep if an attorney is heavily invested in a case’s merits but falls short on a verdict. Civil or criminal a trial consumes an attorney’s attention for long periods. I often talked to myself while driving or walking alone when I rehearsed opening/closing arguments or a sequence of questions to ask a witness. Certain folks might catch me babbling on and suspect me of going around the bend.

The Trump trial has highlighted an aspect of the current state of our news media. There is an onslaught of cheerleading, for and against, rather than any veiled attempt to be objective. The throw him in jail crowd seemed to be 24/7. Every word of testimony was flashed with more than enough spin to satisfy its diehard viewers. When a witness was crushed in cross the pale it caused on presenters was obvious. But, soon another talking head recovered and said it all was not as bad as it might seem. Hope for a conviction prevailed. The other side pointed out all the holes in the case. What a tragic turn of events for America and our judicial system was proclaimed. Papa sits and thinks about showmanship rather than what the last fifty-six years has been about for him. Woo is the system.

Well, it came and went. Once again Papa was at the wrong place at the wrong time. Totality, or at least as close as it possibly gets, passed over my beloved Sight Point at the appointed time. Clouds parted or were thin enough to not see much here in Oregon at the same time. Of course the road is still unpassable at our cabin. Not like Papa could have sat on the deck overlooking the gulf to watch darkness. So, did I miss much? Tonight I will turn off all the house lights to imagine the darkness of an eclipse. And, dream I am you know where.

Papa loves history and politics. As a boy in the 1950’s Mad Magazine was a favorite. Reading it was about as rebellious as I ever became in my lifetime. The title of the above post comes from a saying of the mascot of MAD. Today I connect that memory with a poliical event taking place tomorrow. South Carolina holds its republican primary.

What I find especially interesting is that there seems to be a steady drumbeat from the Trump campaign and all its supportive talking heads that Niki Haley should drop out; yesterday. Why is she still trying? What does she have to gain? One guy on television today suggested that if she had half a brain she’d have quit after New Hampshire. Or, was it after Iowa? There seems to be a trace of anger in the voices of various talking heads. Why would that be? If your favored candidate is a shoo-in why not be calm and magnanimous about an opponent? What harm can she do?

Thus, “What me worry?” seems a more appropriate reaction to a two person race when Trump cheerleaders ballyhoo a 35 or is it a 40 point advantage. Tomorrow is the vote. I’ll be watching the results. Mostly to see if there is a major blowout. In that event I still will be pondering why so much angst about a candidate that is not a threat. I don’t recall such anger/upset when Harold Stassen stayed in GOP races later than February.