Sunday, July 8, 2018

Parsing

Q.  Do I believe the Russians tried to influence our 2016 elections?
A.  Yes

Q.  Do I believe it was authorized by President Putin?
A.  Yes

Q.  Do I believe Putin wanted to help candidate Trump?
A.  It was far more important to Putin that Clinton lost..

Q.  Why did Putin hate Clinton so much?
A.  He believes she tried to interfere with HIS election in 2014.

Q.  Did she try to interfere with Putin's election?
A.  Yes, but only with her comments, not with any cyber warfare -- a major escalation.

Q.  Did Trump collude with the Russians?
A.  I would be surprised if he did.

Q.  Did Trump's campaign collude with the Russians?
A.  I would be surprised if they did not.

Q.  Is the current relationship between Trump and Putin unhealthy?
A.  Yes, but not as unhealthy as his relationship with our allies.

Q.  Is President Trump is a threat to our national security?
A.  Yes

Q.  Do I still believe President Trump will leave office before 2020?
A.  Yes, "the wheels of justice grind exceedingly fine" and Mueller has been grinding a long time.

Q.  Do I suspect President Trump obstructed justice?
A.  Reflecting his lack of respect for norms, I would be pleasantly surprised if he did not.

Q.  Is it possible to understand Trump's "base" without reading Hillbilly Elegy by JD Vance?
A.  No