In a 9-0 decision, the Supreme Court ruled states cannot use section 3 of the 14th Amendment to kick Donald Trump off state ballots over his alleged “insurrectionist” actions on Jan. 6, 2021.
Learning that state officials aren’t empowered to simply toss leading presidential candidates off ballots came as a great surprise to many incredulous left-wingers. Once you’ve convinced yourself Trump led a Hitlerian putsch that nearly overthrew democracy, every crackpot legal theory aimed at stopping him sounds not only morally justified but legally sound.
Just last week, progressives were fuming that the Supreme Court hasn’t expedited Trump’s immunity claims to fit with Joe Biden’s campaign schedule.
The deeper problem, though, is that the left — but, really, anyone who is Trump-obsessed — can’t seem to comprehend the notion of neutrality in law or principle. Here, for instance, is how the Associated Press framed the court’s decision: “Supreme Court restores Trump to ballot, rejecting state attempts to hold him accountable for attack on Capitol in 2021.”
That is, most definitely, not what happened. SCOTUS ruled on the constitutional question. Whether Colorado thinks it’s holding Trump accountable — and the contention that he engaged in “insurrection” is, let’s just say, highly debatable — is another story.
In any event, the case is another reminder that the Supreme Court is perhaps the only functioning institution of government. By “functioning,” of course, I don’t mean the court “moves the country forward,” “upholds democracy,” “keeps us safe,” or any of the other twaddle leftists insist constitutes good governance. I mean a court
