Marked down

No matter how you mark it, today is a big day. Never before in the history of this nation has the law arraigned a President, sitting or not sitting. Today, Donald J. Trump will go through at least some of the ritual arrested men and women regularly do when the law gets them in their hands. Some normal features have been suspended, given the momentous nature of what's going down in New York City.

With Republicans, almost to a man/woman, claiming "witch hunt," the stakes are high, but nowhere near as high as those stakes going to get. In many ways, today's hoopla is more hoopla than substance, given that, according to all kinds of news sources, new information has been uncovered on yet another almost-certain-to come indictment, this one having to do with the manner by which the ex-President handled materials considered to be "top secret." What is perfectly clear is that significant resistance was given to laws and those who serve those laws, and lies were proffered when the government requested documents that should not have been removed from the White House.

That case, or so goes the speculation, is more likely to draw blood, and end--if it ever can or does--with solid conviction. Trump may giggle his way through today's Stormy mess, may well pronounce himself a victim of the deep state--as he always does--with some big-mouth Trumpisms. His minions are already in line, claiming the indictment is politics. Getting them to sing his praises today won't take prodding.

But three others cases hang out there, and today's arraignment is only a five-minute task that, ultimately, won't amount to much, at least when contrasted with the inept phone call he made to Georgia election officials asking them to find him 11,000 votes or whatever, or the investigation into his role before the insurrection on January 6th. Stormy Daniels is a hot topic today, but while she'll most certainly make the history books, she'll soon enough be back on porn hub.

In fact, there's a good chance, experts say, that a trial will open in one of the other cases of his malfeasance before this one even gets to opening arguments. In other words, Donald J. Trump may have a leading role in another court room before he ever faces off against his old flame Stormy.

If it hasn't already begun, the story of Donald J. Trump will churn out more doctoral theses than any other so far in the cavalcade of American Presidencies because just exactly why and how the man was able to grab the cultural sympathies of so incredibly many people, millions of them evangelical Christians, remains the central mystery of, at least, the last two decades.

His numbers are decreasing. Just exactly how many passionate supporters come out today with Marjorie Taylor Green will offer a barometer of the pressures of his continuing saga, but the tea leaves are not looking good for Mister Trump. He may well be able to use this whole Alvin Bragg deal to cement his base, but he's also, for sure, lowering his already oppressive ceiling, which makes his ever winning another Presidential election a pipe dream. A majority of the American public, a brand-new CNN poll makes clear, actually favor this indictment. 

People love him or hate him. They'll either vote for him alone, or anyone but him--and the numbers of those who are just plain sick to death of his bellowing would just as soon park him forever in Mara Logo, sentence him to a trotting him out to say a few nice things at weddings.

He may well win some today--at least file enough lawsuits to put off the mess forever; but the bell is tolling. The love and affection of his disciples may never wain, but the numbers are going down. He's not gaining any friends and admirers. Most of us, love him or hate him, are just plain beat.

He'll go. It may not be today, but all things must pass--even DJT.