2024 Primary Elections.

Yes it has, full stop.

Evidence argues very differently, but at least that's what the investigations and trials will determine.

That’d be Smith not Garland and likely because Smith believes Trump’s other crimes will be easier to get convictions. As prosecutors do.

Or do you think Smith should be looking at the politics and charge based on keeping Trump off the ballot?

Bullshit.

Possible, but pinning your hopes on that is foolish.

So who decided that it was an insurrection, the kangaroo court House Select Committee?

You argue in bad faith.

If that's what it was, y'know what would have put it down good and quick?
The National Guard under the command of the president.
We have his own family's testimony of him not wanting to do that.
And it's not because "he cared about not hurting people" because we saw the glee for violence he had at the BLM protests.

If they had, should they have been eligible?

I can’t remember the fourth one (Was there an insurrection, did Trump participate or give aid and comfort to those that did, is it self executing and one other) but here is a good rundown of the situation for those that like podcasts:

https://plus.thebulwark.com/p/what-will-the-supreme-court-do

[edit] Okay read the transcript. Is the President an officer of the United States is the fourth legal question.

I'm not pinning my hopes on anything, I'm telling you what I believe will happen.

Ergo...

I believe that before the 14th amendment passed it's conceivable that they wouldn't be disqualified. After the passage of the 14th amendment they probably would have been. I have no doubt that the radical republicans would have done all they possibly could to stop them.

And just so we're all clear on the temporal elements involved, would 2024 be before or after the passage of the 14th Amendment?

After.

Yeah, you do.
You totally do.
Heart and soul.

So:

The authors of the 14th Amendment intended for Davis and Lee to be disqualified.

Davis and Lee would probably have been disqualified had they chosen to run for office after the passage of the 14th Amendment.

The 2024 election will be held after the passage of the 14th Amendment.

Neither Davis nor Lee was ever convicted of treason.

Therefore, in order for a person to be disqualified under the 14th Amendment, they have to first be convicted of treason.

Logic isn't your strong suit, is it?

Fun fact, as part of the ‘national reconciliation’ following Vietnam and Watergate Lee and Davis received posthumous amnesty from Congress in ‘75 and ‘78 respectfully.

So they could run for office after that.

Neither Davis or Lee actually did run for office, that's the missing piece. If you're going to strip somebody of their rights, in order to seem legit to me, then that person should probably have a trial with a jury of their peers and be found guilty before doing so. Otherwise it looks like a hack SoS and hack judges out for revenge on a political witch hunt. If found guilty then congress, by appropriate legislation enforce the provisions of the article. This is called due process and it is required when taking people's rights away.

If you're a former confederate general who surrendered to General Grant and you agree to the terms of surrender and live out the rest of your days in peace and don't try and run for office then I thinks it's okay to call that person an insurrectionist and move the fuck on.

Do you see the difference?

Come on you guys, January 6th was just a political rally that got a little out of hand. What about BLM? Huh? Huh? Exactly. Trump did nothing wrong, he's an innocent victim and Biden is the insurrectionist. If you'd take off the liberal blinders you'd see that.

Schroedinger’s eligibility.

Lee and Davis weren’t eligible to run for office unless they decided to run for office in which case they would be eligible unless proven ineligible via a process you just created.

Got it. Makes perfect sense. I in no way see how @tafkats came to the conclusion that logic isn’t your strong suit.

Every time a Republican uses the word witch-hunt, Donald Trump gets an erection. The guy has a constant hardon.

No. Up until passage of the 14th amendment Lee and Davis were theoretically eligible to run for office. After passage of the 14th amendment, I don't personally believe that they would be eligible to run for office because clearly they engaged in an insurrection. If they chose to run for office, I think the republicans would have found that they were disqualified. In this alternate timeline it's possible that the Democrats could have gained majorities in Congress and could have found that they are qualified despite the fact that they were clearly engaged in an insurrection.Then SCOTUS could have theoretically upheld the statute and Lee and Davis would be able to run for office.

None of this did happen though so it's impossible to know how things would have really played out. Maybe it would have resulted in riots and reignited the war. Maybe it would result in Grant would have found a way to pack the courts and they would have reversed the decision. Maybe Grant threatens to reascend the surrender conditions and Lee and Davis drop out. We don't know.

That's to dramatic for an old softie like Biden - just have the SEALS go in and scoop him up and lock him in Gitmo or some such, just to make the point.

As long as it doesn't require we spend any government money because that might hinder the tax cuts.

Judge Judy Sheindlin Endorses Nikki Haley

I think if they had, we wouldn’t have many of the problems we have today.

But, you’re changing the subject. Insurrections don’t have to be successful to be an insurrection. So, what makes you think this was not an insurrection.

Horseshit. Criminal conviction is not the only way that rights are denied. Administrative qualification requirements are common. If I want to build a building on my land I need a permit. Being denied a permit is not conviction, but it’s still pretty effective at stopping me.

If I want to buy a gun but I’m in a mental institution, I haven’t been convicted of anything, but my 2nd Amendment rights are still denied.

I have the right to vote. If I don’t register, I haven’t been convicted of anything but I still can’t vote. If I claim I registered but I’m not sent a ballot when requested, I can sue my registrar to show I sent in my registration and should receive a ballot. THAT IS THE DUE PROCESS.

I have the right to vote at 18. If I’m 16, I haven’t been convicted of being too young to vote to be prevented from voting.

If I want to run for President at what appears to be age 30, I don’t need a criminal conviction to be prevented from doing so. It’s up to the Secretaries of State to decide. If they reject me, I can sue, and show a court that they looked up the birth certificate of the wrong person with the same name. Or if they don’t catch me in the lie, a group or rival candidate can challenge my eligibility and show that my birth certificate says I’m not old enough, and we fight it out in court. THAT IS THE DUE PROCESS. It doesn’t go to Congress just because I’m running for President at 30 instead of Senator at 20, and it doesn’t go to Congress just because Trump or Robert E. Lee or Jefferson Davis are insurrectionists instead of too young. Except that even after the courts have ruled that they did engage in insurrection, Congress can override the court with a ⅔ vote in each house.

AP is saying Christie is out.

https://bsky.app/profile/phillewis.bsky.social/post/3kintptvj3o2j

Assuming most of his voters go to Haley then she will likely win NH before being utterly crushed in her home state of SC.

I was planning on voting for Christie in the primary.

I haven't voted in a primary in years but I'm planning on doing it in March so I can vote against Mr. Kicks two times this year (and maybe yell at any of his people campaigning outside my polling place).

Vivek Ramaswamy’s R.I. nomination papers ‘signed’ by some dead Rhode Islanders

https://x.com/sundaedivine/status/1745536524219761088?s=46&t=iYW3foyqIA6Tn8VWwn3nwQ