Simple question, simple poll.
Other questions to ponder…
- How would it be different (other than no investigation into obstruction, obviously)?
- What would Americans reactions to this be?
- How would Vlad react?
(Public poll, btw.)
I’d assume there would be an investigation into Russia’s meddling in the election, and even – gasp – attempts to fix things so it couldn’t happen again. I don’t think there would be as much emphasis on the collaboration.
I hope so. A presidential candidate standing on camera and asking Russia to hack Hillary Clinton was a felony.
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It’d probably have to be done via the DOJ because the GOP would control congress and they aren’t going to investigate. No matter who had won in 2016, we were probably going to get a special counsel appointed to investigate Trump.
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Probably a little more biased against the investigation, but not by much. Polls would show support for the investigation maybe 5-15% lower than it is since Trump’s DOJ is the one investigating him.
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He’d love it. His goal is to sow division among the US and any investigation will be picked up by the Tea party as a ‘witch hunt’ no matter who does it or what the findings are. I’m sure Vlad loves watching the liberals, green party, black lives matter, etc. on one side and the evangelical whites, gun rights enthusiasts and Tea partiers tear the country in half.
I was going to say something like **OldGuy **said - Russian hacking, etc, was known before the election and I have no doubt that it would be investigated. But I don’t think we’d be hearing much about it until some action was about to be taken. I bet there would also be emphasis on “follow the money” - who was getting how many rubles?
Despite what the Grand High Cheeto insists, the FBI and the intelligence community aren’t political pawns - they try to figure out what’s going on and who’s involved. That’s their job.
A FiveThirtyEight.org discussion on the topic: ”Would Republicans Be Better Off If Clinton Were President?”
I suspect if Clinton had won her administration would be mired in (mostly manufactured) scandal while a still Republican-dominated Congress (certainly the Senate) would block any agenda she advanced. In fact, I suspect this is what Putin actually desired and expected, which would prevent Clinton from focusing much attention on Russia and its ambitions to rebuild a buffer zone between itself and NATO.
Stranger
Yes, there would have been an investigation, sanctions would have been promptly imposed and enforced, and our election systems hardened.
But I’ve always thought there is one good thing that came out of the 2016 election: We have been vividly confronted with the depth of Russian corruption and the extent to which Republicans have been co-opted by them.
It’s now up to us as a country to do something about it with our voices and our votes. It’s now or never.
Yes. I don’t see why there wouldn’t be. I certainly hope so. This is not dissimilar to the investigation into John Edwards, and he wasn’t even the nominee. There are serious questions about whether candidate Trump violated US (and maybe state) election laws. The investigation should happen whether he won or not.
I voted yes, but in my mind it would be a Russia/Trump investigation - Russia’s interference would be investigated, but Trump’s participation would be much more of an afterthought.
I think there would have been. The investigation was already underway before the election, and there’s no reason to think it would have just closed up just because of the election. But it wouldn’t have been as far ranging or far reaching.
Without Trump firing Comey there would not have been a special counsel, so the FBI would have handled it in house. After that, it depends on what you think the FBI would have found, which depends on what you think actually happened. If you think Trump colluded, then it’s likely the FBI would have found it and it would have been a huge deal. But if you think - as I do - that there was no collusion of note, then it’s likely that the investigation, deprived of Trump’s clumsy attempts at obstruction and constant tweeting, would have petered out much quicker.
Trump dealing with this investigation is like Brer Rabbit attacking the Tar Baby. Extremely counterproductive. But all this self-inflicted damage wouldn’t have been possible were he not president.
I would say No. There would be a Russia investigation, but traditionally the US has not pursued charges against losing presidential candidates. It would smell too much like authoritarianism and punishing political enemies. Trump doesn’t care, so he’s all about using the Justice Department as his own personal goon squad, but Clinton would observe the norms. It’s possible that a lot of those campaign advisors would be investigated, but the Justice Department would likely stay hands-off on Trump.
Shit, I forgot about that. This is correct, the FBI was investigating Russia and Trump back in spring of 2016, maybe even earlier.
Had Hillary won maybe it would’ve just been a behind the scenes FBI investigation, rather than the public special counsels investigation we have now.
I voted “no,” mainly for these reasons. Yes, there would (still) be a Russia investigation, but it wouldn’t necessarily be a “Trump/Russia” investigation as I think of it.
Of course there would have been an investigation. Russia doesn’t fuck with our elections and have it go unchecked. (present “administration” not included) Trump is concerned about this investigation as he well should be. Obama knew Russia was fucking with us, but I’d bet he didn’t want to appear to be messing with the process himself. The meddling was known, and it was bound to be investigated.
(Whether any Russian influence in the upcoming midterm election is investigated is less cut and dried, our President being a Putin puppet and all.)
Absolutely this. It would have continued, and it would have been hard not to make it about Trump, because so many of the Trump campaign principals (and family) were already involved before the election.
The Stormy Daniels/Karen McDougal/Michael Cohen stuff might not have come up without the same Mueller scope. But then again, Comey wouldn’t have been fired (probably), and congressional Republicans would have been more constrained in their attacks on the FBI and DOJ. So who knows exactly how it would have played out.
Would there be a special prosecutor? Probably not because Trump wouldn’t be President but the FBI investigation started before the election even happened so the answer is yes.
I can’t imagine a scenario where Clinton wins and doesn’t carry a few extra senators over the line with her.
She’d be blocked from getting her agenda passed by the House but she’d get nominations through the Senate, possibly after they eliminated the same rules McConnell did (since he’d still be doing the Obstruction At All Costs thing he did under Obama)
There would be an investigation of the Russian meddling, but it wouldn’t be a much lower profile (non-special) investigation, and Trump wouldn’t be the main target. Instead it is quite possible that Trump would be offered (and take) a deal to co-operate with investigators so that they could catch bigger fish.
No. The Democrats would do what they always do; sacrifice everything in their desire to shield the Republicans and pander to them. Just like Obama shielded Bush’s torturers, one of Hillary’s first acts would have been to outright forbid any investigation in order to protect the Republicans.
It’s all dog and pony show, only little people go to jail, why do they even bother?
Politics has never been so in my face and making my brain hurt like it is now.
And with Tweetolini being the head cheese it feels like we’re all in the Twilight Zone which means things will only get weirder.
I think an investigation of Russia’s action would continue but in general this is what would happen in regard to Americans. The clearly established crimes would be scandalous but not zealously prosecuted and the perpetrators portrayed as victims.