Ah, politics in America. I wrote a poem about it:

Small towns are red,

Big cities blue,

You live in the suburbs?

Now what will YOU do?

Last night, we got home from our week long trip to St. Louis and Kansas City. Two deep blue cities in a deep red state.

In the last two presidential elections in Missouri, Donald Trump beat Joe Biden by about 15% and beat Hillary Clinton by almost 19%. But in St. Louis City, Biden received 82.3% of the vote, and in St. Louis County, 61% of the vote. Boone County (home to the University of Missouri and more than 100,000 people) voted 55% for Biden. Jackson County (Kansas City) voted for Biden over Trump 60-40. No other Missouri county voted for Biden (that means Trump won 110 counties and Biden won 4), and most of the Trump:Biden ratios were in the 70:30 range.

By the way, Johnson County Kansas (suburban Kansas City) voted 53% for Biden. Missouri and Kansas voting patterns are almost identical. Kansas has 104 counties – 99 supported Trump. Even Wichita voted for Trump – only the counties surrounding Kansas City, Lawrence (home of the state university) and Topeka, the capital, did not.

Having said this, when we drove from St. Louis to Kansas City, we avoided I-70 and basically paralleled the Missouri River, going to Hermann, Jefferson City (the state capital) and Sidelia (home of the Missouri State Fair) on smaller, two lane roads. And here is what we saw:

Trump lawn signs: None

Biden hate signs: None

Confederate flags: None

And as we wandered through this highly red part of the state, and as we wandered around the blue cities of this highly red state, we heard virtually nothing about politics and, looking around, having casual conversations, going into restaurants and the like, you could not tell if you were in red or blue neighborhoods. It all just looked like America.

Which brings us to tomorrow’s arraignment and the potential for Jan 6 type violence. This fear was also present when Trump was arraigned in New York on the charges relating to Stormy Daniels. But nothing happened then. And the hope, of course, is that nothing is going to happen this time.

I have not read the indictment and I don’t know the laws involved, but everything that I have heard tells me that, based on the evidence, this is a good case. The arguments against the charges, it seems to me, are completely specious and thus doubly dangerous. Because they don’t go away if Trump is convicted.

The first argument is that the Trump situation is no different from the Biden or Hillary Clinton situations. The fact that they have virtually nothing in common with each other is irrelevant, and Trump’s conviction would just increase the argument that he is being treated differently.

The second argument is that this is all political. Frankly, I don’t even know what that means. If Trump indeed committed serious crimes (i.e., if he in fact violated the federal criminal laws he is charged with violating), he should be tried, found guilty and punished. That seems obvious – and that makes politics irrelevant. What would be wrong is to let someone (Trump or someone else) off the hook for political reasons, and this is equally obviously what the Trump supporters are doing.

As to Clinton and Biden, it appears to me that no one in any prosecutorial office has the evidence to present to a grand jury of the violation of a criminal law. Regarding Hillary Clinton, Trump had four years to have his Justice Department investigate and prosecute her. But there was apparently nothing to prosecute her for. As to Biden, even putting aside the argument that you can’t indict a sitting president (something that Trump used to believe and that he will believe again if he is re-elected), there has clearly been no evidence of criminality. If such evidence comes up regarding either of them, investigation and possibly prosecution would follow. And guess what – virtually all Democrats would support that prosecution.

Why? Because Democrats in 2023 don’t think like Republicans do in 2023. Democrats respect the law and legal process; Republicans appear not to do so. Democrats respect the constitution as a living document meant to shape a living nation; Republicans do not. Democrats believe their own candidates can be flawed; Republicans do not. Democrats do not believe that the ends always justify the means; again Republicans seem to.

Nevertheless, the arraignment of a former president (and current presidential candidate) on criminal charges is beyond unfortunate and, as much as I think Trump deserves this and more, I am sorry to see it happen and worried about the possible consequences, immediate and long term.

A country like ours has to be governed from the center. Even if you would rather, in your perfect world, see it governed from the left or from the right, you should want it to be governed from the center. Only this can save this country from more of the dangerous polarization we now see. But where would that center government start? Who would be the politicians who would be relatively honest, show leadership qualities, and have sufficient charisma to excite the public?

The No Label Movement has the right idea. But the timing is wrong if the backing of a third choice candidate would split the center and the left and give the right wing candidate (Trump) the plurality.

The 2024 campaign will be interesting. Interesting in the way of the presumed old Chinese proverb about being cursed to live in interesting times. Throughout this period, whatever is going to happen – I wish it would take its time and wait a while.

Arraignment, arraignment, go away. Come again some other day.