Not because they like him, but just the opposite. It "proves" what they already believe, what they desperately want to believe: that we coddle our criminals; that stupid, evil politicians with no sense of real justice or morality want to turn monsters loose to prey on the populace because....Well, just WHY they would want to do this is never really explained. They must just be stupid and evil so don't vote for them or trust anyone who does.

It is "proof" of how our nanny state and its bleeding hearts will get us all killed if we let them get away with it, if we don't put a stop to it right now! Remember Willie Horton? People love proof. It convinces them that they're right, and everybody loves to prove they're right. It proves everybody else is wrong.

The truth is America has more people in prison per capita than most other countries, that they get more severe sentences than most other countries for similar crimes. America's penal system has a lot of problems, but coddling criminals is not one of them. But politically, it is a useful myth to keep alive. It helps keep a sense of vindictive self-righteous indignation alive and festering in the voter's mind.