OPINION: This article may contain commentary which reflects the author's opinion.
It is astounding to hear so many Democrats talk about what is a threat to democracy and then watch as some groups associated with progressives lobby to block former President Donald Trump from appearing on election ballots in some states.
Two groups, Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW) and Free Speech for People, are lobbying to keep the former president off the ballot in some states, 19fortyfive reported.
The website is not what anyone would consider pro-Trump, but even author Barbara Joanna Lucas had issues with the idea.
“There are more than a few good reasons not to vote for former President Donald Trump. For those who support his agenda, he’s petulant and self-destructive enough that he might be the least likely Republican to achieve it. Those who oppose his agenda, or think him to be a threat to democracy because of his election denial and Jan. 6, would vote against him and muster up majorities to keep him out of office,” the author said.
“But, hey, there are a few reasons to vote for Trump – at least in comparison to the Joe Biden presidency. These include a strong economy, a border that was under control for most of his presidency, and sweeping success in naming judges,” she said.
“Trump’s political fate should be up to voters, not a clever means to have him booted from the ballot. The same could be said of any other politician that rubs a lot of Americans the wrong way. Let voters decide,” she said.
The groups are using Section 3 of the 14th Amendment to pressure Democrat secretaries of state to keep the former president off the ballot in their states.
That section states that “No person shall be a Senator or Representative in Congress, or elector of President and Vice-President, or hold any office, civil or military, under the United States, or under any state, who, having previously taken an oath, as a member of Congress, or as an officer of the United States, or as a member of any State legislature, or as an executive or judicial officer of any State, to support the Constitution of the United States, shall have engaged in insurrection or rebellion against the same, or given aid or comfort to the enemies thereof.”
Unless the Judiciary concludes that TFG should not hold office, trying to block him from being on ballots will enhance his "victim" status, and would further erode national trust in elections. https://t.co/c7E0RMKvro
— TheWiseChoice (@DocWise) May 9, 2023
In simple words, it means that if those secretaries of state can be convinced that the former president is an insurrectionist they could keep him from appearing on the ballot.
Former President Bill Clinton’s labor secretary, Robert Reich, an avid anti-Trump voice, penned a piece for The Guardian in which he said the former president should not be allowed to campaign for any office.
“Secretaries of state — who in most cases are in charge of deciding who gets on the ballot – must refuse to place Donald Trump’s name on the 2024 ballot, based on the clear meaning of section three of the 14th amendment to the US constitution,” he said.
IOWA 2024: Trump's campaign is releasing a new internal poll, conducted by @jmclghln (500 LV, 04/27-30)
Trump — 54% (+34)
DeSantis — 20%
Pence — 7%
Haley — 5%
Romney — 4%
Ramaswamy — 2%
T. Scott — 1%
Cheney — 1%
Elder — 1%
Christie — 1%2-Way:
Trump — 57% (+22)
DeSantis — 35% pic.twitter.com/JnkITjoo9v— InteractivePolls (@IAPolls2022) May 10, 2023
2024 GOP primary polling average trends by @FiveThirtyEight
March 6:
• Trump — 44.8% (+15.2)
• DeSantis — 29.6%April 6:
• Trump — 48.3% (+21.1)
• DeSantis — 27.2%MAY 9:
• Trump — 52.7% (+30.4)
• DeSantis — 22.3%https://t.co/TZgdgdeRnq pic.twitter.com/58O5E4iPzr— InteractivePolls (@IAPolls2022) May 10, 2023
Who agrees? pic.twitter.com/pwhuHwvMJJ
— Proud Elephant 🇺🇸🦅 (@ProudElephantUS) May 10, 2023
Biden's DOJ Makes Huge Move – House Republican Arrested, Facing Up To 20 Years In Prisonhttps://t.co/MgI2XIh2Hg
— Conservative Brief (@ConservBrief) May 10, 2023
The section of the amendment in question was devised to keep politicians who supported the Confederacy from getting in the way of reconstruction and using it to keep a presidential candidate off the ballot would be a legal stretch.
It would also show that Democrats are terrified of Trump defeating the elderly President Joe Biden in a one-on-one competition that, one poll showed last week, the former president leads by seven points.
Mediaite reported:
The new poll was done by ABC/Washington Post and showed Trump smashing Biden by a whopping 7-point lead.
According to the survey, the president trails his predecessor by 7 points in a hypothetical 2024 general election matchup. Respondents were asked whether they would “definitely” vote for Trump or Biden, “probably” vote for Trump or Biden, vote for someone else, or not vote at all. Among those who “definitely” prefer one candidate over the other, Trump leads Biden 36-32. But when those “probably” voting are added to the tally, Trump’s margin balloons to 7 points — as he holds a 45-38 advantage over Biden.
