On the trauma scale, with the loss of a family member being ranked number one, losing one’s liberty, going to jail, comes in at number two or three. And the higher the perch one falls from, the more traumatizing it is.
While Paul Manafort probably was smiling as he traded in his $3,000 suit for a pair of ill-fitting prison khakis after the judge revoked his bail for potential witness tampering, when that cell door locks behind him and he’s all alone, with only his thoughts for company, reality will begin to set in. Robert Mueller knows this: this ain’t his first rodeo.
No doubt Trump has sent word to Manafort by now to just hang tough, a full pardon awaits him if he’s convicted. But two things have to be going through his mind. One, he’s putting his faith and freedom in the hands of a guy that has spent his entire life throwing people under the bus, and two, a president cannot give a pardon on state charges — which are guaranteed to come if Manafort somehow manages to dodge a federal bullet.
For an exceptionally powerful and wealthy man, one who has gotten his way his entire life, being told what to do and when to it by some jail guard (who probably doesn’t earn as much as his doorman, chauffeur or butler) really is a kick in the nuts. And having to stand in line behind some big dude named Bubba in order to use the one phone, just to be told it’ll be shut off in three minutes, will be enough to drive him stark raving mad. Additionally, the withdrawal symptoms he’s going to be going through over not having a cell phone at his disposal will be stronger than the pains and sweats of someone trying to kick heroin cold turkey.
Manafort’s probably now attempting to comfort himself by thinking, “This won’t be for long, my trial begins next month.” But after a few weeks of this routine, and not being able to have his stylist keep his hair dark brown as it begins turning to grey, he’s going to come to the conclusion that many others in his situation have come to: “It ain’t no fun when the rabbit got the gun.”
Cooperating with Mueller’s investigation is going to start looking more and more like a viable option, even if it brings down the president. At his age, even 10 years in prison is a long time, and he’s now just getting a taste of what it will be like.
From CoolCleveland correspondent Mansfield B. Frazier mansfieldfATgmail.com. Frazier’s From Behind The Wall: Commentary on Crime, Punishment, Race and the Underclass by a Prison Inmate is available in hardback. Snag your copy and have it signed by the author at http://NeighborhoodSolutionsInc.