Well, the former president has finally been held responsible for something. In a way, this particular case is a perfect encapsulation of his lifetime of shady dealings.

There was a tawdry affair with an adult entertainer, political campaign shenanigans, questionable (at best) financial practices…..even a bit of a circus atmosphere around the whole matter.

As to what happens next, well, I’ve got some ideas.

The Sentence

While a lot of people would love to see him behind bars for the rest of his natural life, it’s pretty certain that’s not going to happen. Courts tend to be lenient when it comes to first-time non-violent offenders. And since you know his legal squad is going to argue for a light sentence – and appeal whatever sentence is given – it might be better as a practical matter for the prosecution to argue for a modest, limited sentence:

Six months of house arrest.

He’s got a residence in New York, right? Should be fairly easy for the Secret Service to work with that, right? It’s not “cruel and unusual”, right? People can freely visit him, he can still post on social media and make appearances via the Internet… His legal squad would have a hard time arguing for a lesser sentence than that, right?

BUT…..

He won’t be able to go to any rallies.

He won’t be able to go to the Republican National Convention to accept the nomination.

He won’t be able to get out there and campaign in person.

Even the most modest penalty – probation – carries with it a LOT of restrictions on behavior and movement. And as we’ve seen during the trial, he has a hard time complying with rules and restrictions.

And his behavior between now and the sentencing will be closely watched. The courts generally want to see signs of remorse if they are going to go for a lighter sentence…

The Democrats on the Campaign Trail

They’ve been given a massive hammer to batter their opponents with. They had better use it.

At every campaign appearance, every debate, and every time a Democrat-friendly journalist interviews a Republican “talking head”, they need to ask the question: “Your party, the Republicans, claim to be the party of ‘Law and Order’. How can you justify having a convicted felon as the leader of your party?”

Ask it every chance you get, and don’t let them get out of it. Make them squirm.

The Follow-Up

It’s almost definitely too late to make it happen this year, and it’s equally unlikely to happen at the federal level. But as a remedial action to help prevent situations like this from happening in the future, states can enact laws to the effect of:

No one convicted of a felony can appear on a state-wide ballot unless and until they have completed their sentence or their conviction has been overturned.

There are a LOT of rules and regulations about election eligibility – age, residence, number of signatures on a petition, etc. – that don’t seem to cause anyone any problems. There are also many restrictions on convicted felons (owning a gun, for example). Why should a rule keeping convicted criminals from running for public office be any different? You’d think it would be a “no-brainer” – but thanks to the current Republican party, we have to rethink all these normal standards of political behavior.