Just a thought I had while reading this diary by Heavy Mettle: “Russian TV Instructs Trump: “If you want our support in the election do as we say” which has a quote from Russian state TV from tweets by Julia Davis:
#Russia's state TV:Vitaly Tretyakov, dean of Moscow State University's School of Television, argues that Russia should act decisively in response to the new sanctions. "Let's turn this into a headache for Trump. If you want us to support you in the elections, do what we say."
More detailed translation of what Tretyakov says re: sanctions (shortened in the original Tweet due to character constraints):"Let's turn this into a headache for Trump. If you want us to support you in the elections, which we're ostensibly arranging, then do this or that."
So what if Russia throws the election to Democrats in an obvious way? Senator Ben Nelson (D-FL) has stated RUS has 'penetrated' Florida voter registration systems. It could be purging voter rolls, flipping votes, whatever — just favoring Democrats this time.
If the RUS goal is total chaos — Why not back the Dems and make it obvious and provable?
RUS isn’t really get much from Trump in the way of sanctions, but getting plenty from Trump’s destabilization of our norms and relationships with allies. It could have several benefits:
- Plays into Trump’s CT that RUS really backed the Dems in 2016. Trump could do anything in response.
- The US media will play the story terribly for the 1-2 weeks needed to cement the frame.
- Dems might be caught flat-footed, having correctly highlighted RUS interference for Republicans for almost 2 years now. And if Repubs are tipped off, they would be ready.
- Trump has proven willing to do anything, which could include invalidating the election and ending the Mueller probe because we now have “obvious” proof that RUS has been backing the Dems all along.
- The Republican base will eat it up and likely a lot of low-information independents and some Dems will believe “their eyes” since the “meddling” will be obvious and provable. This could create a nice 50/50 split of Americans.
- = Total chaos
We have been told ‘The warning lights are blinking red again’
Just a thought, but why not? RUS haven’t got much on sanctions, but hit the jackpot on dividing us and our allies. Folks who should know like Garry Kasparov state that Putin’s ultimate goal is the destruction of the peoples’ faith in Democracy and its institutions. When that is gone, the oligarchs are free to reign.