Trying to Apply a Common Sense Theory to the Russia Investigation and the Mueller Report

[RHMerriman]

1. John Brennan made an interesting point on the Trump-Russia case early on:

John Brennan made an interesting point on the Trump-Russia case early on: he said something like "sometimes people start on the road to committing a crime not because they are criminal, but because they are stupid."

That doesn't excuse it, especially if the subject compounds their stupidity through later actions, but it can help explain it.

The classic case is the honeypot; US soldier or sailor, or businessman, in a position of trust, is overseas, lonely, tired, and living on per diem; lovely local starts paying attention, and an affair begins; then the American is blackmailed by the lovely local's actual employers to start handing over the goods or face exposure.

Just because it's one of the oldest tactics in the book doesn't mean it doesn't work.

Without any more information, I think your summary is certainly a possible explanation of how this situation began; and how it plays out is, as you eloquently put it, up to the citizenry.

Using 1932 as the guide, in 2020, we can elect the equivalent of FDR, or we can re-elect the equivalent of Hoover crossed with Benedict Arnold and Huey Long.

Choose wisely...