Don gets the maximum

But it won't do maximum damage-but maybe some

Donald Trump got the maximum – conviction on 34 felony counts – and so the judicial system has held him responsible.

It is a day many thought would never come. And yet, here we are. The most corrupt president in American history, the man who said he could shoot someone on Fifth Avenue and not lose any votes – lost the votes of twelve jurors. Sentencing is set for mid-July. Days later the delegates to the Republican National Convention will make this convicted felony the GOP candidate for president of the United States.

At any other point in history, traditional Republicans would turn their back on a man like Trump, who, it must be noted, was recently found responsible for $325 million in damages in a civil sexual assault case. They would use the convention to find and nominate someone else, and thereby prove they are capable of putting the country first.

But instead of doing the right thing, we know that the RNC delegates will do the cowardly thing, letting Trump proceed to November, because they are captive to the Trump cult AND because they tremble in fear over the prospect of him coming after them.    

As every Republican sycophant dutifully tweets their statements, casting aspersions on the American jury system, the rest of the country shakes its head. How did we ever get to this point, where the GOP frontrunner is a felon, and the party marches on with him at the head?

While this verdict can certainly impact the election, the reality is that no matter how this trial ended, there wouldn’t be much of a change. Opinions are deeply set. Donald Trump is not new on the stage; he’s by far the most polarizing figure in recent American history.

Unfortunately, this was the first of four pending cases to go to trial. It is by far the weakest in terms of its potential impact on our democracy. This is why nobody has argued that this will be the final nail in the coffin of Trump's political career. Pending federal cases could be far more impactful and far more influential on the future of our country. This doesn’t make this case unimportant, just less important than the others.

Will this change the outcome? It depends. There will not be major shifts in the polls, and analysts will be quick to dismiss the impact of the convictions. However, in an election decided by the margins, it might have a deeper impact than most will see. Firstly, there are still Americans who, despite the best efforts of Republicans, believe in the sanctity of the jury system and will see this outcome as just and right. They will be uncomfortable with the idea of a felon president, and if they weren’t dead set for or against Trump, the convictions could make the difference.

Secondly, and more importantly, we must remember the so-called Haley voters who refused to support Trump in the GOP primaries. Something kept them from capitulating to Trump, and they still found a compelling reason to go to the polls and vote for a candidate who has long since dropped out. Some may be concerned with Ukraine, some may be concerned with the future of democracy, and some are still viscerally turned off by Trump's lack of character. After all, presidents are role models, like it or not. These groups would likely have to think twice before jumping with Haley on the Trump train. They might, just might, hold their nose and vote for the Democrat, President Joe Biden.

Regardless, it is a sad day for our nation. A former president has been convicted of almost three dozen felonies. If we worry about our standing in the world, this isn’t a positive thing. Indeed, right now America looks like so many struggling democracies, where strongmen violate laws and bend the system to their will. The anti-Trump coalition, this uneasy and awkward alliance, must stand together, united to defend the sanctity of our system and the presidency. If we fail, our kids will inherit a nation worse than the one we received. No court case will save us; electoral victory will. The battle rages on.