To people who voted for Harris, "convicted felon" expands to "see - he's unqualified!"
To people who voted for Trump, it expands to "see - he's the victim of partisan/predatory prosecution." Furthermore, it emboldens them to use the courts to advance their own partisan agenda.
It feels like the robe of impartiality has been falling away from the justice system in an alarming way. People look the other way when the lack-of-impartiality leans the direction they want (SCOTUS making up the right to an abortion in Roe v Wade), but it's scary when it goes the other way.
I dislike "convicted felon" as a descriptor for Trump. It serves as a dogwhistle rather than a helpful shorthand. He's an asshat, but he also got charged with a rare felony so his detractors could go around calling him by a name usually reserved for rapists and murderers. It doesn't signal anything meaningful, except that you're in the opposition, and it potentially riles up his adherents to also use the courts for revenge.
To people who voted for Trump, it expands to "see - he's the victim of partisan/predatory prosecution." Furthermore, it emboldens them to use the courts to advance their own partisan agenda.
It feels like the robe of impartiality has been falling away from the justice system in an alarming way. People look the other way when the lack-of-impartiality leans the direction they want (SCOTUS making up the right to an abortion in Roe v Wade), but it's scary when it goes the other way.
I dislike "convicted felon" as a descriptor for Trump. It serves as a dogwhistle rather than a helpful shorthand. He's an asshat, but he also got charged with a rare felony so his detractors could go around calling him by a name usually reserved for rapists and murderers. It doesn't signal anything meaningful, except that you're in the opposition, and it potentially riles up his adherents to also use the courts for revenge.