Seven years after Peter Strok of the FBI assured his girlfriend that he would not let Trump win the 2016 election and pulled out all stops to launch the Russia Russia attack, the Colorado Supreme Court ruled that Trump will not be on the 2024 ballot for the Republican primary in the state.
The Democrats are so terrified of losing next year that they are throwing much mud on the wall hoping something will stick. The impeachment, the partisan J6 committee findings that never looked at what caused the riots or how they could have been prevented, the lawfare using the DOJ, state, county, and city courts, all want one outcome – Stop Trump from winning by criminalizing his conduct.
The 4-3 decision by a panel of seven judges, all appointed over the years by Democratic Party governors in blue Colorado, surprised the judges themselves. By their own admission, they conceded that they were making a weighty decision on an arcane Civil Rights era law that was intended to prevent members of the Confederacy from contesting and winning elections in the United States. This law has never been used against a former president or against the leading candidate of a party.
Democrat activists, ably supported by Never Trump organizations like the Lincoln Project have tried to use various laws to prevent Trump from even appearing on state ballots. The justification in each case is the same. Former President Trump incited an insurrection against official proceedings of Congress to name Joe Biden as the 46th President, and in doing so, he tried to overturn a legitimate election.
The first target for these activists has been the Republican primary elections in some 24 states. The strategy is to deny Trump access to the ballot in each state so that he can fall short in his quest to become the Republican nominee for president. Elections in America are a party matter controlled by the Secretary of State in each state capital. The Colorado case was brought about by TDS activists with this goal in mind.
Similar cases in other states have yielded mixed results. In Minnesota, the state Supreme Court ruled that nothing prevents Trump from being on the Republican ballot, even if he did engage in an insurrection, leaving the door open to future challenges about Trump appearing on the general election ballot.
In Michigan, the verdict was more in Trump‘s favor as the state Supreme Court ruled that they did not have the power to outlaw Trump from the state ballot for a Republican primary, deeming it a party issue.
In the Colorado case, the judges seemed not sure of themselves, which is why they stayed their own decision until Trump has a chance to appeal to the United States Supreme Court or January 4, the last day to file to be on the Republican ballot in the state, which ever happens first.
Given the enormity of the constitutional questions involved, we expect the United States Supreme Court to not only hear the emergency appeal, but rule in Trump’s favor, dealing a blow to desperate TDS activists in 20+ states.
Denying a person the chance to be on the ballot based on an allegation (and not conviction) is tantamount to denying voters a choice to elect their leader – and is inherently undemocratic. We find it hard to believe that the United States Supreme Court will let one voice in a partisan 4-3 judicial majority decide an election in an entire state.
Besides, even the US government’s Special Counsel’s case against Trump involving four charges in the J6 riots does NOT contain the word insurrection, the main legal basis of the Colorado judgment.
As a practical matter, even if the Supreme Court does not hear the case letting the Colorado decision stand, there will be little impact on the Republican contest. The Colorado GOP has offered to go to a caucus system that will not require anyone to be on a ballot. Or, another Republican like Nikki Haley may win Colorado with Trump excluded from the ballot, but his lead is so huge he will still be the party’s nominee. Republican delegate math will ensure this outcome. Recall how Obama clinched the nomination from Hillary in 2008.
Even if Trump was denied a place on the Colorado ballot in the general election, it would not mean much. Biden is likely to win the state anyway and take all of its electoral college votes.
The 2024 election will be decided in a handful of battleground states, like Georgia, PA, Michigan, Nevada, Arizona, and Wisconsin, where Trump is leading Biden. The margin is likely to solidify because Americans, especially Independents, see that the various attempts of lawfare against Trump are designed to ensure a Biden or Democratic Party victory. Americans want a fair contest, not a rigged election.
Meanwhile, stay tuned for a constitutional lesson on ballot access and the rights of voters and candidates. This holiday season will bring back political discourse to the dinner table like never before.
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TIPP Takes
Geopolitics, Geoeconomics, And More
1. U.S. Says ‘Serious Negotiations’ Taking Place On New Gaza Truce – BBC
But prospects remain uncertain after Hamas’s leader reportedly rejected the prospect of a temporary pause during talks in Cairo.
Meanwhile, Israeli forces say they’ve uncovered a network of tunnels in the heart of Gaza City with entrances connected to the houses of Hamas leaders. The UN Security Council again postponed a meeting to discuss calls for “urgent humanitarian pauses” in Gaza.
2. Hamas Leader Yahya Sinwar Again Gives The Slip To Israeli Troops, Narrowly Evades Capture – WION
Sinwar is believed to be hiding in tunnels under Gaza’s southern city of Khan Younis after fleeing the north by hiding in a humanitarian convoy moving to the south during the early days of the terror group’s war with Israel.
According to Channel 13, IDF has been primarily focusing its operations around Khan Younis City to achieve its goal of assassinating Sinwar.
3. Macron Says Fighting Terror Does Not Mean “To Flatten Gaza” – AFP
French President Emmanuel Macron called on Israel “to stop this response because it is not appropriate because all lives are worth the same and we defend them.”
“We cannot let the idea take root that an efficient fight against terrorism implies to flatten Gaza or attack civilian populations indiscriminately,” Macron said.
4. U.S. Defense Secretary Visits Aircraft Carrier At Heart Of Middle East Deterrence – Reuters
Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin visited the Gerald R. Ford aircraft carrier in the eastern Mediterranean Sea. He thanked its crew for their role in helping prevent a broader conflict in the Middle East during the Israel-Hamas war.
Austin discussed planning for the transition with Israeli leaders in Tel Aviv, with an international outcry mounting over the high civilian death toll in Gaza.
5. Russia-Arab Ministers Stress Need To Guarantee Security Of Maritime Traffic – Al Arabiya
Russia-Arab ministers stressed the need to guarantee the safety and security of maritime traffic in the Gulf and the Red Sea, a final communique by the Russia-Arab Cooperation forum said.
The ministers condemned “acts that target the security and safety of maritime traffic and facilities, energy supplies, oil pipelines and facilities.” They also “strongly condemned the Israeli aggressive war” on Palestinians in Gaza and rejected justifying it as self-defense, the communique added.
6. Anti-War Russian Presidential Hopeful Yekaterina Duntsova Applies To Run In Election Against Putin – WION
Yekaterina Duntsova, a former TV journalist and Russian lawmaker calling for peace in Ukraine, submitted her application to challenge incumbent President Vladimir Putin in the country’s upcoming elections in March 2024.
The 40-year-old Russian lawmaker hopes to challenge Putin by promoting her vision of a “humane” Russia “that’s peaceful, friendly and ready to cooperate with everyone on the principle of respect.”
7. Ukraine Says Shot Down 35 Drones Launched By Russia Overnight – AFP
Ukraine said that air defense systems in the capital, Kyiv, and other locations across the country had downed dozens of Iranian-designed drones launched by Russian forces in Moscow’s latest overnight barrage.
Drone attacks have been near-daily occurrences in Ukraine, and Kyiv has reinforced its air defense systems with weapons from its European and U.S. allies.
8. China Urges Philippines To ‘Act With Caution’ Amid South China Sea Dispute – Al Jazeera
China’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi spoke by phone with his Philippines counterpart Enrique Manalo and noted the need for dialogue between the two countries.
China’s Foreign Ministry released a five-paragraph readout of the discussions – noting that Manalo had talked about Manila’s views on the Second Thomas Shoal – but alleged that any tension spike was Manila’s fault.
9. Hong Kong Plummets In Freedom Index, Descends ‘Into Tyranny’ – RFA
Hong Kong has plummeted in the Cato Institute’s Human Freedom Index, with the annual rights report describing China’s crackdown in the city as a “descent into tyranny.”
The city – once ranked in the top 10 freest territories in the world – dropped from 3rd place in 2010 to 46th place in 2021 out of 165 countries, the Cato Institute said in its 2023 report. It fell 17 spots from 2020.
10. U.S. Says Hungary’s ‘Sovereignty’ Law Gives Government ‘Draconian Tools’ That Can Be Used Against Opposition – RFE/RL
Hungary’s law on “protecting national sovereignty” passed by the parliament last week has raised concern at the U.S. State Department.
State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said the law was “inconsistent with our shared values of democracy, individual liberty, and the rule of law.” The ruling Fidesz party says the law will defend against undue political interference by foreign persons or groups.
11. U.S. And Venezuela Announce Prisoner Swap Deal – D.W.
In exchange for the release of 10 Americans imprisoned in Venezuela, the United States freed a close ally of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro — Colombian businessman Alex Saab.
The deal represents the boldest attempt by the U.S. government to improve relations with Venezuela.
12. Poland’s New Pro-EU Government Dismisses State Media Chiefs – Al Jazeera
The culture ministry under Poland’s new pro-European Union government announced the dismissal of the management of Polish public television, radio, and state news agency PAP, citing the need to restore the outlets’ impartiality.
Critics say that state-run media, in particular 24-hour news channel TVP Info, became an outlet for propaganda during Law and Justice’s (PiS) eight years in office. Prime Minister Donald Tusk’s coalition, which took power last week, has vowed to create news outlets that take a more balanced approach.
13. North Korea Leader Vows To Launch Nuclear Attack Without Hesitation In Event Of Enemy’s Nuclear Provocations – Yonhap
North Korean leader Kim Jong-un made the remarks in an event held to praise a missile unit for the successful launch of a solid-fuel Hwasong-18 intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) this week.
Kim stressed that a country’s sovereign rights can only be guaranteed through powerful strength, saying true defensive capabilities come from the capacity to strike any enemy in a pre-emptive manner, KCNA said.
14. Protests Erupt In Buenos Aires Against Milei’s Economic Overhaul – WION
In a display of public discontent, thousands took to the streets of Buenos Aires to voice their opposition to President Javier Milei’s economic shock measures.
The demonstrations marked the first major challenge for Argentina’s new libertarian leader, who assumed office with a commitment to reduce public spending.
Milei’s recent announcements of a 54 percent devaluation of the peso, subsidy cuts, and the closure of government ministries have sparked widespread concern and opposition from various social groups.
15. JN.1 Covid Variant: WHO Charts Its Rapid Global Spread – BBC
A sub-variant of the Omicron strain of coronavirus has been classified as a “variant of interest” by the World Health Organization because of “its rapidly increasing spread.”
JN.1 has been found in many countries worldwide, including India, China, the UK, and the United States. The risk to the public is currently low, and current vaccines continue to offer protection, the WHO says. But it warns Covid and other infections could rise this winter.
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Republished with permission from TIPP Insights
