I'm struck by one statement in particular I've read that one of the defense lawyers presented on behalf of DJT at trial: "“There’s nothing wrong with trying to influence an election. It’s called democracy.”

Let's hope the jurors are smart enough to see through that specious argument. From where I sit it's rather like taking the introduction and the index of a long book (let's say The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich, for our purposes) and saying that it's all you need to read in order to understand the work and its premise. Once one accepts the premise that anything goes under the guise of influencing an election and having a democracy, it becomes much easier to accept a lot of unsavory democratic practices for the sake of convenience.

Suddenly it becomes okay to lie about election results, put forth slates of false electors, stack the deck with "evidence" of crimes not committed, and alter the legitimate results as one sees fit.

Suddenly it becomes okay to manipulate social media with AI and other applications in order to tell a story that never happened and impugn the character and credibility of those who fairly oppose your agenda and the practice of it.

Suddenly it becomes okay to hijack the legislative process by a handful of extremists with their own self-serving agenda, casting chaos and unnecessary delays into important Congressional activities and getting little to nothing done on behalf of all taxpaying constituents who foot the bill for their salary, pension, and benefits.

Suddenly it becomes okay to cozy up to real and wannabe dictators and other "strong men" whose agenda does not have America's best interests at heart and who actively work to subvert our own democratic institutions.

And suddenly it becomes okay to stage a violent insurrection at one of our most sacred institutions.

Of course the list could go on, but the point is clear. It seems on the right, democracy now is whatever one defines it to be as long as you are in agreement with what the fomentors of discord and mayhem want to do. It takes little imagination to see how they would react if it were those dreaded leftists attempting the same thing and seeking to empower their own people and agenda with the same tactics and justifications. Rest assured that it will get only worse if the right does not attain the results that it wants in November. And likely even if it does.