OPINION: Convictions about principled presidential leadership

The conviction of a candidate for president of the United States for felony crimes is not a moment for celebration, but a time for reflection and recommitment to principles that define our democracy. We must carefully consider the character of those we elect, and advocate for leaders who prioritize public service above all else.

America’s Founding Fathers had much to say about a more perfect union centered on principled leadership and public service. Their words and examples can teach us a lot about our current political situation. 

Alexander Hamilton said, “When a man unprincipled in private life desperate in his fortune, bold in his temper, possessed of considerable talents, having the advantage of military habits — despotic in his ordinary demeanor — known to have scoffed in private at the principles of liberty — when such a man is seen to mount the hobby horse of popularity — to join in the cry of danger to liberty — to take every opportunity of embarrassing the General Government and bringing it under suspicion — to flatter and fall in with all the non sense of the zealots of the day — It may justly be suspected that his object is to throw things into confusion that he may ride the storm and direct the whirlwind.”

Chaos is an effective ladder to power, but even in 1792 people knew that chaos causes collateral damage. 

Recently, I heard a comment comparing Trump's felony convictions to George Washington's fight against British Monarchy, suggesting that Washington was also a criminal. It is true that many of the Founding Fathers were considered traitors in their time. However, their so-called crimes were in pursuit of a cause far greater than themselves: the welfare of all American people.

In the Declaration of Independence, they boldly asserted, “We solemnly publish and declare, That these United Colonies are, and of Right ought to be Free and Independent States … And for the support of this Declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes and our sacred Honor.” 

Their crime was the audacious act of severing ties with a monarchy to establish a nation based on freedom and self-governance.

In stark contrast, Trump was charged with 34 counts of falsification of business records in the first degree, a felony in New York. These records were falsified to conceal hush money payments to a porn star. 

Do you see the difference?

There is an important difference between fighting for a nation's independence from a King who ruled without regard for the needs or the greater good, and hiding payments to avoid embarrassment. 

Being litigious and contentious to avoid embarrassment is not a hallmark of good character. Paying a porn star to stay quiet ahead of an election is not noble, nor did it serve the public who deserved to know the true character of the person who was seeking the highest national office.

Yet, some elected leaders in Idaho and beyond are defending Trump, ignoring the stark contrast between his actions and those of the Founding Fathers.

George Washington fought for an America that was perpetually evolving, striving toward a more perfect union. He voluntarily stepped away from power at the height of his influence because he recognized the dangers of a leader clinging to power. In contrast, Trump clearly intends to hold onto power at all costs, regardless of the consequences for the country.

In his farewell speech, Washington was, “Satisfied that if any circumstances have given peculiar value to my services they were temporary, I have the consolation to believe that, while choice and prudence invite me to quit the political scene, patriotism does not forbid it.”

True patriots do not cling to power, rather they empower those around them to continue and enhance America’s legacy. 

To compare Trump to Washington is to mock the legacy of our Founding Fathers. Washington and his contemporaries risked everything for the creation of a new nation built on the rule of law, not the rule of one man. The rule of law is the bedrock principle on which liberty and justice reside. Our Founding Fathers were visionaries who understood this, and knew that these principles, in turn, depend on leaders of character and integrity.

This moment in history calls for a recommitment to these values. We must demand that our leaders embody the principles of public service, integrity and selflessness that the Founding Fathers championed. We must engage in our democratic process with vigilance and discernment, ensuring that those who hold office do so for the right reasons.

As we navigate the fallout of Trump's conviction, let us remember the lessons of history. Let us honor the true legacy of the Founding Fathers by electing leaders who prioritize the common good over personal gain and who embody in their actions the words of the Preamble to our Constitution: "We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.”

In a bi-partisan statement, we echo Idaho Gov. Brad Little's statement when he said: "This issue will be decided at the ballot box."    

Our civic duty is to ensure we're well-informed, not misled by bad actors sowing the seeds of chaos. Not only the immediate future, but the futures of our children and grandchildren for many generations yet to come will depend on our judicious choices at the ballot box.

And let us never again allow the character of our leaders to fall so far below the standards set by those who fought to establish this great nation.

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Evan Koch is chairman of the Kootenai County Democrats.