Why the Rod Blago and DeBartolo pardon by POTUS matters. DeBartolo hails from the Youngstown, Ohio region, where the Democrats have dominated, and where the Italian mafia infiltrated/controlled the politicians and law enforcement successfully for decades. See Jim Trafficant as an example.
To this day, Trafficant (a prime example of a typical Youngstown mob controlled crooked politician) is the cause of tremendous division throughout Mahoning county, with both die-hard supporters and strident detractors. You can assume I know specifics of his shenanigans from growing up with that region's law enforcement through a family business. Facts be damned, his supporters remain his staunchest defenders. Makes for terrible Thanksgiving dinners throughout that region.
The locals feel the same about the mob connected DeBartolo family, because of their regionally lucrative (jobs) construction business, and the football connection, with DeBartolo the owner of the SF 49ers during the superbowl winning Joe Montana/Steve Young years. Youngstowners LIVE for football. Throughout the 80's and 90's, the DeBartolo headquarters in Youngstown (Boardman to be specific) proudly displayed SanFrancisco 49ers flags (one for each Superbowl win) alongside the USofA and Ohio state flags in front of their building. Because facts matter not to those die-hard Youngstown Democrats, the pardoning of DeBartolo will go a long way toward drawing more votes (Trumpocrats) in that all important N.E. Ohio region come November 2020.
A shrewd move. To understand why, you need to take a walk through some history. Observers of mob connected families through the decades will have noticed that many of the children born into mob families do NOT continue in the family business once they become adults. Sure, some mob kids do continue, but those are usually the dummies, with dummy parents, and frankly do not live for very long. The smart made men, and especially their non-mob involved kin, work hard to ensure their children bearing those infamous names do NOT continue in a life of crime, through proper education and involvement in legit businesses. A number of them do go on to become pillars of their community, with no help from the mob, and with an extra sensitivity towards shady characters with shady intentions. You can assume I know this to be true, from close up, personal observation.
This appears to be the case with Ed DeBartolo Jr. Sure, a murky past, but also known to push his family name toward legitimacy, not more of the same. If we have to forgive the formerly corrupted along the way toward uprooting current corruption, pardoning some of these characters is one way to do it, especially if a bigger move being set up is the goal.
The case against Blago was filled with the same monkey business as the trials and convictions of "our guys." Makes for a terrific way to open up that door toward exposing DS judiciary abuse and rogue activist judges.
https://www.mahoningmatters.com/local-news/a-family-affair-many-in-valley-rooting-for-the-local-team-2055609
https://www.mercurynews.com/2020/02/18/trump-pardons-ex-san-francisco-49ers-owner-debartolo-jr/