The Dangerous Journey of John Eastman

[Ocelot II]

How a mild-mannered law professor became the architect of a scheme to overturn a presidential election.
by Garrett Epps

Long but very interesting article about how John Eastman went from being a conservative legal scholar to a leader of TFG's lunatic fringe enablers - it gets down in the legal weeds quite a bit but worth the read. Some colorful writing, too.

The Trump years served as the modern conservative movement’s version of the myth told in the Christian gospels, in which Satan carries Jesus onto a high mountain, below which are spread all the kingdoms of the world, and says, “All these things will I give thee, if thou wilt fall down and worship me.”

In the gospel myth, Christ passes the test. But how many of us mortals would? Some Republicans seem to have made it—Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger, Arizona House Speaker Rusty Bowers—but many did not. Consider William Barr, formerly a respected figure who reduced himself to vile toadyism and outright deceit to defend Trump from legal danger; consider Lindsey Graham, formerly, like his late friend John McCain, a figure with a reputation for independence who now crawls in Trump’s wake croaking “my precious”; consider Rudy Giuliani, once presidential timber but last seen by history as Pagliacci, hair dye dripping as he stumbled through a parody of legal argument on behalf of Trump.

No one goes into politics because they glory in seeing neutral processes play out and really don’t care who wins the game as long as it is fair. All of us—from minor players to protagonists, from politicians to professors—have devout wishes for what we believe the country can become; many of us see those who oppose us not as colleagues or friends but as enemies. Today’s right has convinced itself that the tepid progressivism on offer from the Democratic Party is actually aimed at, and capable of, leading us all to a godless, murderous Gehenna like Pol Pot’s Cambodia. Michael Anton, a colleague of Eastman’s at the Claremont Institute, wrote a famous article in 2016 calling that year’s vote the “Flight 93 election,” because the election of Hillary Clinton would be so disastrous that conservatives, like the heroic passengers who crashed one of the hijacked planes on 9/11 rather than allow it to be flown into a target, should wreck the entire political system if necessary to block her from the White House. For many conservatives, hating and thwarting liberals has become the sole imperative for the salvation of the nation and the souls within it.

To people with this level of hatred, the tempter whispers that their deepest wishes can come true if they will just give up this nonsense about “legality,” “fairness,” and “democracy.” You were never really serious about that, were you? he murmurs. Step over this line, and you will sit at the right hand of power and the evildoers will depart into everlasting fire. Donald Trump had the unique ability to offer these conservatives their heart’s desire. The serpent tempted them, and they fell...

https://washingtonmonthly.com/2023/03/28/the-dangerous-journey-of-john-eastman/

[Frasier Balzov]

1. Eastman is fighting an attorney disciplinary proceeding.

His principal defense is that it is his Constitutional right to be a Trump lackey.

He will probably be allowed to skate.

[ShazzieB]

2. There seems to be a problem with the link.

When I click on it, I get this message:

OOPS! THAT PAGE CAN’T BE FOUND.
It looks like nothing was found at this location. Maybe try a search?

Just thought you might want to know.

P.S. I did a search and found this link, which seems to work:
https://washingtonmonthly.com/2023/04/04/the-dangerous-journey-of-john-eastman/

[Ocelot II]

3. Try this:

https://washingtonmonthly.com/2023/04/04/the-dangerous-journey-of-john-eastman/