Well, it has happened: Donald Trump has been convicted on 34 counts of fraud. I lost a bet on that one. I was convinced he would be acquitted. Instead, Donald Trump is the first President of the United States of America to become a felon, at least until the appeals process winds its way through all of this. Whether you like him or hate him, that is a historic moment.
Think about it. Twelve men and women, without a single dissenter, found Trump to be guilty on 34 counts. That means that hands went up 408 times to create one solitary outcome. All it would have taken is for one of those jurors to raise their hand supporting an acquittal of the former President, and he would not have been convicted. It didn’t happen.
Most people who read my articles know by now that I believe Donald Trump should never be near the White House again. If he is, it will result in chaos in that country, significant concerns in most of the Western world, and potentially serious consequences in Canada.
That being said, I want to address an issue that raised its head this past week when Doppler published a commentary titled “An alternate view on Trump,” submitted by an American citizen, Hibberd Kline III.
We received a lot of pushback on this. One person asked why we would publish an article from an American with no connection to Muskoka, especially as Doppler prides itself on encouraging comments from people who have a connection here. To set that record straight, Hibberd Kline does have connections to Muskoka, and he is someone I know and respect, although we often disagree on issues related to Donald Trump.
At least as important, however, is Doppler’s belief that effective dialogue often requires comment on both sides of an issue. Contrary to what some people may believe, while we sometimes express strong opinions, we have always encouraged respectful comments and commentary from people who have alternate views. In that spirit, we make no apology for publishing the commentary submitted by Hibberd Kline. It was the right thing to do.
For example, we know that regular contributors Hugh Holland and Dave Wilkin often have very different views on energy and climate issues. Another regular commentator, Anna-Lise Kear, has to dig very deep to find something to agree with me on, especially if it has anything to do with the current Ontario government.
All of that is okay. We consider it to be responsible journalism. There are times, of course, that we cannot post a comment or commentary because it borders on hate or libel. Sadly, some of that occurred in relation to Hibberd Kline’s commentary.
I am not able to agree with Hibberd Kline that Donald Trump should be re-elected under any circumstances. There is, however, a thread in his article that not only holds some validity but also addresses the most disturbing factor that could re-elect Donald Trump.
Hibberd Kline is a lawyer and a former Marine who lives in Missouri. It is not surprising that he is a Republican or that he has conservative leanings. However, he is not a cultist, and he has not swallowed the Kool-Ade. He knows that Trump did not win the 2020 election. His article clearly reflects that he is well aware of Trump’s character and failings. He would prefer it if Nicky Haley were the Republican nominee.
But he believes that current President Joe Biden has done a terrible job over the last four years. He cannot get past that, and so he says he will “hold his nose” and vote for Donald Trump as he is, in his mind, the lesser of two evils.
And therein, to me, lies the rub. Donald Trump cannot, alone, get elected by only his cultist MAGA base. He also will need the support of Republicans who have his number and know exactly who he is and the harm he could do as President. These are people who are generally fair-minded but are faced with an alternative they cannot accept, and so, they too will hold their collective noses and vote for Donald Trump.
My sense is that there are many Republicans who find themselves in that position, between a rock and a hard place but will nevertheless vote for Donald Trump as the lesser of two evils. If there are enough of them, it will be these good people and not the MAGA extremists who make Donald Trump the next President of the United States.
Thankfully, we have a different system here in Canada. If we have a problem with both of the front runners, there are other political parties we can vote for whose candidates have a record of getting elected, unlike third-party candidates in the United States.
Also, although our political leaders are not perfect, none of them—and I include both Justin Trudeau and Pierre Poilievre—have the preponderance of almost overwhelming character flaws of Donald Trump. I know that there are some who will disagree strongly with me about this, but hey… as I said earlier in this article, that’s okay.
I cannot see a day in Canada when millions of people take to the streets because they didn’t get their way in an election. But there is a good chance in the United States that will happen. Donald Trump has already predicted that there would be “a bloodbath” if he is not re-elected.
Trump’s conviction has already resulted in cries for civil unrest. His base is anything but inactive. A multitude of MAGA senators, people from a political party that normally strongly upholds the rule of law, now attack it because their guy ran up against it. The reaction of MAGA supporters has been angry and threatening. Trump’s campaign has garnered more than $50 million since the trial in New York ended just a few days ago.
It is my own view that Donald Trump should not be put in jail. In a recent speech, he almost asked for it. That is because he knows that the more, from his point of view, he is persecuted, the stronger his chances are of being re-elected. He wants to be seen as a martyr, and yes, he wants to see people in the street just as he did on January 6, 2021. I simply would not give him that opportunity.
One way or another, the year or so ahead is going to be traumatic. America is divided. There is a realistic chance that whatever the result of the presidential election this November, it could lead to a civil war.
That will not be good for anyone.
Hugh Mackenzie
Hugh Mackenzie has held elected office as a trustee on the Muskoka Board of Education, a Huntsville councillor, a District councillor, and mayor of Huntsville. He has also served as chairman of the District of Muskoka and as chief of staff to former premier of Ontario, Frank Miller.
Hugh has also served on a number of provincial, federal and local boards, including chair of the Ontario Health Disciplines Board, vice-chair of the Ontario Family Health Network, vice-chair of the Ontario Election Finance Commission, and board member of Roy Thomson Hall, the National Theatre School of Canada, and the Anglican Church of Canada. Locally, he has served as president of the Huntsville Rotary Club, chair of Huntsville District Memorial Hospital, chair of the Huntsville Hospital Foundation, president of Huntsville Festival of the Arts, and board member of Community Living Huntsville.
In business, Hugh Mackenzie has a background in radio and newspaper publishing. He was also a founding partner and CEO of Enterprise Canada, a national public affairs and strategic communications firm established in 1986.
Currently, Hugh is president of C3 Digital Media Inc., the parent company of Doppler Online, and he enjoys writing commentary for Huntsville Doppler.
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Think Trump is bad?
Search “What Pierre Poilievre and Donald Trump have in common”
“we now have a Canadian Conservative leader who trades in the same trademark combination of bombast, belligerence, and bullshit.
No, Pierre Poilievre isn’t the second coming of Donald Trump, but he keeps hitting some unmistakably Trumpy notes.
His contempt for the mainstream media, of course, is entirely in keeping with Trump’s. So too is his obvious disdain for expertise and the well-educated. And the rallies where he praises the virtues of the “common people”, and talks about all the ways in which they’re getting screwed over by elites? Textbook Trumpism.”
Trump is a convicted felon and a liar spewing “alternative facts” constantly.
All politicians from all parties spew “alternative facts” occasionally.
But at least they used to try to be subtle and make it difficult to fact check.
Since Trump the right spews “alternative facts” blatantly.
In your face.
It’s never been easier to fact check and find out their “facts” are not true.
But many people don’t care.
They will vote for their candidate no matter what they say or do.
Even when they are convicted of a felony.
A new, very dangerous situation for democracy.
Poilievre and Doug Ford have also found out that spewing “alternative facts” doesn’t affect your polling numbers any more.
Everything Poilievre says about the carbon tax and it’s affect on inflation is not true.
But he knows the majority of Canadians blindly believe his lies and won’t bother to fact check.
Ford is also on Poilievre’s carbon tax “alternative facts” bandwagon along with Lecce.
Ontario residents seem to forget the only reason Ontario has the carbon tax is Doug Ford because he cancelled Cap and Trade and the money and energy saving rebates it funded for no reason at all.
Ford is counting on Ontario resident’s short memories.
It seems he is right.
Scandal after scandal, creating and repealing legislation willy, nilly.
Illegally dictating contracts that nurses had to go to court over. And won.
Yet Ford’s polling numbers aren’t affected.
Everything Ford said about the Science Centre is also not true.
You could literally see his eyes turning brown at the announcement to destroy it.
Many, many examples of “alternative facts” spewed at the provincial and federal levels of the right.
Doesn’t matter.
A new, very dangerous situation for democracy.
I actually don’t blame the politicians.
I blame the electorate.
Politician’s one and only priority is to get elected and re-elected. They will say or do anything.
Nothing new about that.
What’s new is all the blatant lying having zero effect on their polling numbers.
Unbelievable.
A new, very dangerous situation for democracy.
Hugh M.
I agree that we need to listen to those who oppose our ideas as we can learn why they feel the way they do.
In Mr. Kline’s letter he makes some good points but in others he is just incorrect. As an example he states that Biden is controlling education. In fact, due to the 10th Amendment in the US Constitution, the States determine education policy, not the Federal Government. This is seen in Florida that is dictating all kinds of radical education ideas.
But the really big issue is the result of the Citizens United decision made by the conservative judges on the Supreme Court. This decision allowed Corporations to spend any amount of money they want on those running for government. Which includes the Supreme Court. The ramifications are massive. The book ‘Captured’ by Sheldon Whitehouse goes into great detail on how the justice system and politics are now run in the US. Corporations and big money now control the country.
Trump is evil, but he is just the result of big money running the show. This decision helps both parties but more so the Republicans. They seem more comfortable with throwing out established precedent, ignoring laws and their constitution. Of course, those in charge of actually running the country are being told by big money to give them what they want or they will support someone else.
Most Americans have no idea what is happening to them behind the scenes.
Big Money owns Trump, the Supreme Court, and the Republican Party.
If Mr. Kline is happy with that so be it.
Right on Mr. Holland. To tell me that someone “will hold their nose” and vote for a lying, sexist. racist, grifter prig (I had another word but community standards, eh!) over some other old fart is sad but laughable. If you are an American Republican, you will vote republican supposing the candidate might be, as Mr. Holland points out, a p*g. Which it is and that’s why Mr. Kline and the other deep thinkers will be holding their noses. It seems Democrats will do the same, but they just have that old fart to hold their noses for.
And the crap these deep thinkers cobble together to try and explain whey have no choice, is just so much convoluted BS, and as odoriferous as the p*g and old fart themselves. Mr. Kline say he is an ex- Marine who never joined a cult for cool-ade. He knows Trump lied about the non-win in 2020, knows what a jerk Trump is, would rather have someone else than Trump, but after all that, will just hold his nose and vote for Trump. Because he is a Republican!!!
Or is that a Republicans take on Democracy !!! Just get a grip on the nose!
Yes this is a very troubling situation. But Hibberd Kline’s contention that Biden has done a terrible job is simply not true. It just shows that Harvard grads can be as polarized as anyone else. Biden’s US economy is doing well by doing the right things with respect to climate change. That is the single most important thing as we walk ever closer to the point of no return on the climate change cliff. But the bottom line is that Joe Biden is a very decent human being and Trump is everything but. Hibberd Kline is jut one more example of the deeply entrenched political polarization in the essentially 2-party system of the USA. You could run a pig in the Republican party and most Republicans would vote for it because their grand-daddy always voted Republican. The Democrats are only marginally more flexible. That is not how democracy is supposed to work. Democracy is supposed to allow people to vote for the best ideas. Thankfully Canada and most of Europe has 4 or 5 parties that keep us farther away from that dangerous polarization trap.