Talk about free and fair, private elections. Some armed folks show up at your door, and tell you to vote, and no need to seal the ballot, just fill it out and then go about your day.
Unless of course, you are one of the 2% who didn't get the word that a free and fair election is code for, vote for Putin and Russia or you get the other door...the one marked, death and disorder.

Democracy, at its finest, means electing a stable government because the majority of the people have voted for it. Unlike a Republican Party Presidency, of course.Trump would of course go along with whatever the American Taliban fundamentalists want.

Wow, I just had the darkest daydream, it lasted for a few minutes after reading this article. It involved Trump's Second inaugural address, and was ten times darker than his first, and that first one was bizarre.
Oh please Republican Party, if he runs again, find a way to tap into your courageous place and not elect him as your candidate.

As an atheist, in my 70's, I do fear these fanatics, for sacrificing fellow humans for one's religious fantasies is a long held tradition in Christianity.

I actually do remember a fairly sane and responsible Republican Party, but then I was born in the middle of the last century. Heck, when Nixon's crimes were revealed, the Republican Party helped get him out of town (after doing everything they could to distract the nation). As it is, I wouldn't trust the Republican Party to do anything but serve their wealthy masters and use the Southern Strategy to marginalize African Americans and women, and of course, target immigrants.

I think Nixon previously held the record for number of followers and members of his administration being jailed, but whoever held it, that record has fallen to Trump and his minions, and the count is still adding up.

You are a Trump lawyer and have just met with him, where he ranted for an hour and demanded that you go back to that court and tell them that the FBI planted all kinds of evidence.
You walk out of the room, remember how hard you worked to get through law school, how much you need money to raise your family, and how stern this judge looks.
You then craft your reply to the judge using all of your skills as a lawyer, because you both have to stay out of jail and not be fired by Trump.

Ah, well, there is the Rudy series of moves, that involve lies, deception and attacking the courts in the public arena. What is the worst thing they can do to you...Rudy is still walking around, though not able to practice law in a few places.
There are a million former Trump lawyers out here selling books, having taken his money, if paid, and now working to redeem their social standing by mocking him.

I once was a Christian, until one day when I was an adult and reasoned things out for myself. I had no problem with those who worshipped their god the way they worship Santa Claus, enjoying the rituals and singing the songs, but it was all that dogma that demanded that one assert that one believed in stuff that was unbelievable, and seeing the truth that religion divides us one from another more than any other social organization.
For many years I understood that truth be told, all decent and caring people worship at the same altar, sure the words on the door might be different, but the hearts of good people tend to be united. But then life happened, I stood up and said who I was, and then the ability to pretend stopped.

Must be a whole lot of really rich people in NYC really angry with the Trump family. If they had kept their grift to manageable size, and if he hadn't called attention to himself by running for the White House, NYC might still be a wonderful place, for those who also use rich people's math to do their taxes and apply for loans.

As for me, I would make all young people, male and female, eligible for and obligated to, a time of national service, either two years in the military or two and a half years in civilian service, their choice. Then they would be eligible for national health care, and if I were boss, eligible to vote.
Never happen, but as things stand today, children of the rich, say the Trumps, have all the rights and joys of living in America with none of the responsibilities, and seem to be most concerned with making the rich an American aristocracy.

This should be fascinating, right to the trial itself where they will have to find a jury that has no MAGA fanatics willing to do anything for Trump.

You would think that this means the Republican Party is serious about comprehensive immigration reform, but even if the Dems bring it up in the house, the Republican Party will shoot down any substantive conversations. It is their biggest vote getter, so keeping the chaos at the border going for years works for them, though they protest it is a Democratic thing.

Well,the secret influence of space aliens or whoever would explain why we are ignoring the greatest threat to the future of mankind, global warming, so that the rich can stay rich. Maybe the aliens like it hot.

Well, if one sees things from Putin's perspective, things are going swimmingly in the US. His stooge Trump has spurred division and distrust and helped Americans shoot each other in great numbers. I think when all is said and done, Trump is Putin's tool.

Oh well, it will be eventually appealed to the Supreme Court, where Trump hired many of the judges, so what could go wrong?

As long as Trump gets to hire the judge, get that same judge to rule for him in important matters, one wonders just how justice will be done.

Hmm... I wonder what they could be.
What are Putin's interests, what would he pay to learn? What Ukraine has in the way of armaments, what the US will do if he helps China invade Taiwan?

Many of us have experienced that sick to the stomach feeling when we finally understand that we have been wrong, that we have been following crooks and fools and need to stand for ourselves and walk out of our religion, or our job, or...
So I empathize with the MAGA mob, at least some of them, for sooner or later they are going to get that they have been royally screwed for years by someone who used their fears and insecurities to get get rich off their SS pensions.

Religion is a personal thing, it is none of my business what you or your loved ones believe. But in the public square, health care and its primary component, medicine, is life itself. There is a compelling interest, overwhelming interest, in favor of ignoring such "religious" rights to operate a business. You cannot operate a coffee shop and exclude African Americans even if your religion says they are not to be interacted with, , and you cannot discriminate against gay people in this life or death matter.

Remember the Clinton, Bill in this case, impeachment? Long term it only served to show how hypocritical the right can be and to keep him in power.

Sure does feel like the last year of the Vietnam War felt...no way to win, no way to serve with honor in the last days of a losing war, looking at the leaders, say Nixon, and wonder just how incompetent or corrupt they really are, understanding that they are not to be trusted with the lives of the people in the military.

I have little doubt there are many older retired former Republican Party leaders, who have found themselves pouring a large glass of something and trying not to cry over where their party is heading. Heck, it might even make some of them "come out of the closet" and admit to voting for someone other than Trump and suggestion others do the same as well.

If Trump gets back in, he will be, in reality, a Putin substitute, intend on so much chaos and division that the country comes apart. All that would require would be his corrupted Supreme Court ruling that counties can secede from one state and go to another. A quarter of Oregon would go to Idaho, and along the way, America would be split in two.
Trump is the monster who can never be appeased, like another historical figure who ruined his country.

Treason, capital "T" is what was cited regarding the Constitution.
But treason, small "t" is about betraying one's country. Small "t" is perfectly fine to use to describe someone's behavior if it involves a betrayal of trust.
The first gets one in serious trouble with the government or should.
The second gets one a divorce.

Some days it must have been fascinating being Donald Trump, if he really truly believed he was above the law. I have to wonder just what might be out there that is still to be discovered, secret dives into personal records of enemies like Nixon perhaps.