Trump is right . . . for once.
One troubling aspect of the RESIST! movement is its ad hominem component. The narrative goes like this: Trump is a vulgar, tacky, misogynistic liar; therefore anything he says or does is evil and must be RESISTED! The two problems with that narrative are that it is not a very astute way to assess his policy decisions, and it misses the kernel of truth in many of his rants. A specific example of the latter is his assertion that Robert Mueller’s investigation is interfering with the midterm elections. I think he is right.
The central theme of the Democratic midterm campaign is that Trump is dangerous, and that his presidency is illegitimate, because he colluded with the Russians in order to win the election. A Democratic majority in both houses of Congress is essential in order to blockade his folly and impeach him.
Holding elections is not the sum total of democracy. Successful democratic societies have a lot of vital features — free press, independent judiciary, and rule of law among others. One of the most essential features is peaceful transition of power — losers willingly and publicly support election’s winners. RESIST! is a refusal to accept the legitimacy of the 2016 election. The hook for that refusal is collusion and/or obstruction.
If Donald Trump colluded with the Russians in order to win the election, he should be impeached. If he engaged in obstruction of justice, he should be impeached. Robert Mueller and his team are supposed to let us know if either of those crimes occurred.
Mueller has a team of 12 or more high powered lawyers. His budget is virtually unlimited. He apparently has a mandate (we haven’t been shown the memo) to look far and wide, since he is charging Paul Manafort with crimes dating back a decade or more that seem far removed from Russian collusion in the 2016 election. He’s been at it for over a year. The time is rapidly approaching when his failure to confirm or deny the Democratic campaign narrative will have a real impact on the upcoming congressional election.
If Trump did not collude or obstruct, the Democrats need to engage in some serious soul searching. They need to consider their unwillingness to accept the outcome of the election. How will RESIST! impact the political landscape when they win an election? They need to consider the further deterioration of comity in the Senate created by their obstruction of Presidential appointments. How successful will the next Democratic president be getting his administration staffed? Every step away from civility in the Senate seems to set a precedent for the future.
The appropriate role for the losers of an election is to be the loyal opposition. That does not mean supporting all the positions taken by the winners. That does not mean ceasing to work hard to position themselves for a return to power. That does mean acknowledging the legitimacy of the winner and looking for areas of compromise that might benefit the country.
Robert Mueller needs to get his report written immediately. If 12 lawyers and numerous investigators can’t get the job done in a year, they have conclusively failed in their duty. Get the cards on the table so the electorate is informed well before its voting booth decisions are made.
