Fandango’s Provocative Question #227
Do you think someone who has been indicted or convicted of felonious crimes should be permitted to run for public office? Would you consider voting for a candidate in your country who had been indicted for having committed felonious crimes? Would that individual having been convicted and/or imprisoned have any effect on your vote?
First of all, felons have been elected before if not to the presidency, than to other significant offices. This includes at least one mayor of Boston who was elected while in jail and went on to the Statehouse afterward and a governor of Rhode Island and I think a mayor of DC. I’m pretty sure there are more.
I think — more importantly — the nature of the crimes matters. This isn’t a traffic ticket. This isn’t about his over or under-paying taxes — or even completely avoiding taxes. THIS former-president is accused of actual treason. Unless the heart and soul of this country has ceased caring about freedom and the rule of law, than this particular candidate should have no right to run for office again. Ever.
We’ve had some pretty felonious presidents including Andrew Jackson who was a mass murderer, but that didn’t bother anyone much. You can say “different times, different attitudes” but seriously. How much have people in this country genuinely valued personal freedom — or have we just been waiting for the right time to dump it all in favor of the next blowhard who promises the world and gives us trash?
On the other hand, if that many Americans value freedom so little that they would elect an asshole like Trump again after watching him try to take down the government?
I’d like to think that these polls are unrealistic and wrong, but if this is what most Americans really want, maybe Trump is exactly what they deserve. I’m glad I won’t be here to watch our final disintegration into chaos and self-destruction.
Share this:
Categories: #FPQ, Anecdote, Law, POTUS, Provocative Questions
SERENDIPITY - SEEKING INTELLIGENT LIFE ON EARTH 
Strange in your country that a convicted felon can’t vote, but they can run for office.
We are watching from across the waters and from where we are sitting it isn’t looking good. It is a country divided and a democracy that is really under threat. Everyone keeps talking civil war. I hope not. It is incredible that one man could create all this, though you have to wonder if social media wasn’t as big would it have happened? I don’t understand how people can like him and think that he cares about them. The only person he cares about is himself.
LikeLike
It looks like it happened all at once, but really it has been in progress for the life of the country. Our fatal error was slavery. We never recovered from it. Our second fatal error? Brutalizing natives — just like you guys did. THAT was an ugly legacy of the British empire.
It’s never as simple as it looks. OR as recent as it may appear.
LikeLiked by 1 person
You are right, it is never that simple. Our countries are very similar, multi cultural and all that, but we also have massive differences.
Our democracy is very different or how our elections are run are very different. For one, voting is compulsory. As soon as you turn 18 you have to register to vote and then that registration lasts for life. If you don’t vote you get fined. Is it a good system, I don’t know. It has its bad points, like idiots voting. My mum used to stay it was compulsory because Australians are lazy and if they didn’t have to vote they wouldn’t.
One really major difference is that an outside body runs the elections. That politicians can’t decide how many voting booths there will be in any district or electorate. It is outside their control. If we had to wait 6 hours to vote there would be hell. They have to make easy for people to vote. We like that.
While we never had slavery as you did, it is questions where the indigenous people were forced to be slaves, though still a discussion, no records, but very likely. We did have convicts, as Australia began as a penal colony after the US war of Independence, they sent them here. Yes, most definitely the natives here have a very similar story to those in the US. Though I think your country has solved it better than here. We have always treated them as though they were children and don’t know what they want, we still do. They are also treated by the law a lot more harshly.
I guess we are sitting in our seats here watching carefully to see if something similar can happen here, or how to prevent it. Can we prevent it? Scary times really. I do suspect that the main difference here is that Australians tend to be more apathetic, so maybe not. Still, we watch. I hope the outcome we all fear never happens.
LikeLike
My husband just added that the good thing about compulsory voting is that politicians have to appeal to everyone in the population and not just the extremes.
We also have preferential voting, I don’t know if you know what that is. It is a good system too.
LikeLike
It is going to be awful if he’s re-elected! I sincerely hope he won’t be!
LikeLike
It will be double as awful as it was before and I would hate that totally. Let’s vote and hope for a reality check!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Yes, let’s 💗💗
LikeLike
This question is not about convictions, indictments, or feloniuos behavior, but it is whether the candidate is popular with a sizable chunk of society. We are losing ground here, slowly sinking to third world standards, starting with the SCOTUS inequity and continuing with the GOP’s willingness to ignore the people, and pursue a path of what’s best for a minority, but rich, portion of the citizenry. Politics, not human right is the target.., how different things are these days. All I can say is we came close to doing the right thing but even legal bodies (SCOTUS) can be corrupted.
LikeLike
It’s not worth much, but this is NOT the first time. The problem is that we are facing much bigger problems and without a viable government, I don’t see how we can deal with it. It never happened at such a critical time. Always before, we had a hero arise.
No heros this time.
LikeLike
Only an idiot would think so.
But there’s lots of idiots around.
If that was you or me we’d have been in jail years ago.
LikeLike
Of course. But we aren’t the entitled rich. I feel rich because we bought two reclining chairs. They would STILL be really really rich if they bought two matching yachts.
LikeLike
I was raised in Nevada which at one time elected a dead pimp to the state legislature. When reminded of this fact, the people in his district said they preferred to have a dead pimp represent them than a democrat.
LikeLike
And yet they have now gone kind of bluish. Go figure.
LikeLike
Marion Barry was the mayor of DC when he was arrested for being on crack.
LikeLike
Thanks. I remembered, but not details.
LikeLiked by 1 person
nooooooooooooooo
LikeLike
At some point, if this is REALLY what America wants, they will have it. If we — as a nation — are this incredibly stupid, we probably don’t deserve anything better. It’s depressing to say it and worse to hear it, but reality bites. This issue has fangs.
LikeLiked by 1 person
It’s tragic how our values have deteriorated over time
LikeLike
Tragic, yes. But if this is REALLY what our majority of citizens want? Past a certain point they will have their way. I very much wish it were otherwise.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Yes, I do too. But wishing won’t make it right.
LikeLike