This isn’t much of a diary, more a conjecture.
This last week, we’ve seen Team tRump go on national television and admit to felonies. They have mis-stated the law. They have contradicted themselves—Rudy has sometimes contradicted himself in the same TV interview. They have had no “message discipline,” which means they can’t keep their lies straight.
To any rational person, this week has been a disaster.
But that assessment relies on assumptions about Rudy’s audience. First, he’s not trying to persuade rational people, since (a) his actions are irrational; and (b) there are no rational people remaining who support tRump. He’s not trying to persuade the infamous Base. They will believe whatever spews from the Dear Leader’s mouth, even if the message changes mid-sentence. He’s not trying to persuade the press, since they are forever trapped in both-sider-ism. He’s not trying to make a legal argument, since his statements are devoid of legal reasoning.
All of this presumes he’s been talking *about* tRump’s crimes and his message has been *to* voters, or the press, or prosecutors. It’s a spectacular failure if those presumptions are correct.
However, what has actually *happened* this week? The infamous Base remains *stalwart* and *aggressive* in its support of the Dear Leader. If anything, this week has *increased* the sense of deprivation and alienation to which the Base so self-pityingly clings.
What if the Rudy’s real is message is about the Base? Even in the face of spectacular admissions of guilt, obvious lies, and overt obstruction of justice, the base not only sticks with tRump, their support solidifies.
If the message is about the Base, then who is the message *for?* Well, it’s obviously *for* the Republicans in the House and the Senate. They all know that without the Base, they will never win another election. The main message this week is that the Base will ruthlessly punish anyone who doesn’t slavishly support the Dear Leader, no matter what he says or does.
From that perspective, this has been a pretty successful week for Team tRump. Sure, we’ve had a couple of Republicans speak out in support of the Mueller investigation. You will note that none of these Republicans are running for election in 2018.
Whatever else this week has been about, one thing that has happened is that Republican support of tRump in Congress has not wavered.
I’d have to say that’s “Mission accomplished” for the criminals in this administration.