Mueller’s indictments are significant, in and of themselves, no doubt. That said, it seems it will be some time — a few months, certainly — before anything happens truly close and damaging to the President (since very little seems to really damage him, let’s be honest). These indictments, therefore, shouldn’t take away from other important things about to happen: for example, elections.
In terms of timing, as a general comparison, the parallel to Watergate is somewhat instructive. The first break-ins occurred during June 1972, during Nixon's re-election campaign. Indictments for those who committed the break-ins came down in September. Nixon was re-elected in November. It wasn't until August of 1974 that Nixon resigned, almost two full years after the first indictments. In the interim, dozens others were indicted related to Watergate.
Fast forward to yesterday. That Mueller brought these first indictments after five months from his appointment is fast by most any measure - and particularly because financial crimes are difficult to prove - but show how certain he is of the evidence. The man isn’t known to bluff or make many mistakes. I believe the word is methodical, which makes the speed of these indictments surprising. Maybe it means the dots are pretty easy to connect, who knows.
Or maybe, compared to 1974, we are living in a hyper-accelerated era of information gathering and dissemination. For that reason alone, it seems impossible to think that, as it was with Watergate, it will be two years until this investigation reaches its climax, whether that climax is the end of this Presidency or something else. While it is my most fervent desire that the Mueller investigations lead to Trump et al losing their ability to influence my family's present and future, and that this happens as soon as possible, we should remember that the wheels of justice grind exceedingly slowly.
So, please, don’t let this distract from other important goings on. Keep fighting. And one of the best ways to do that is to help win elections at whatever level. On the highest levels, remember there are a lot of important elections happening in the next few weeks:
- A senate election in Alabama to replace Jeff Sessions on December 12 (where (R) Roy Moore, who would really like to preside over a crazed theocracy, is a candidate);
- House special election in the UT-3rd;
- Gubernatorial and legislative elections in New Jersey and Virginia;
- Washington State Senate there are two districts — the 45th and the 31st;
- Countless local elections as well, from school boards, to councilmen and women, and Virginia sheriffs;
- A referendum on medicaid expansion in Maine; and
- In New York, a vote to determine whether or not there should be a (state) constitutional convention in 2019.
If you want to check out where things are happening, a good place to start is the website of legendary civil rights activist Fergie Reid’s, 90for90.org, where there is pretty thorough a listing of what elections are happening where, down to some of those local elections I mentioned.
But stay involved and go vote. Go canvas. Vote. Vote in every election. Vote. Contribute. Vote. Call your elected officials at all levels. Vote. Go to town halls, meetings. Vote. March. Vote. Help register voters. Vote. Engage others who don’t necessarily agree with you about what's right. Vote. Put a sign in your yard. Vote. Volunteer for a candidate. Vote. Drive someone who needs some help to the polling place so they can vote. Vote.
[Note: Obviously, the list above isn’t exhaustive. I know there are many other elections coming up — please mention them in the comments and I’ll try to add to the list above as time permits. Thank you.]
And make. sure. you. VOTE!