The Leaked Results of the Mueller Report: An Opportunity to Pivot to 2020

The Leaked Results of the Mueller Report: An Opportunity to Pivot to 2020

The Leaked Results of the Mueller Report: An Opportunity to Pivot to 2020

According to a recent CNN poll that asked respondents which issue is most important for them in determining their vote for the 2020 election, came in at zero was the Russia investigation.  Put frankly, the average American does not find Russia’s alleged intervention in the 2016 election as the crisis that many politicians and pundits make it out to be.  

After some of the contents of the Mueller report came out this past Sunday, news networks have an opportunity to pivot from the 2016 presidential election to concentrate on the issues that voters will use to determine who they support in 2020.  Unfortunately, that was not the path that the three major news channels decided to embrace.  CNN and MSNBC continued, with bated breath, their coverage of the possibility of an obstruction of justice charge against the President.  Fox News used the news to gloat about their demonstrated incredulity surrounding the Russia investigation.  

          Courtesy of Time Magazine

Perhaps the most disappointing development was the melancholic reaction of many who had bought in early on the Russia narrative.  The Russian collusion narrative served as a more palatable way for some Americans to stomach the surprising 2016 defeat of Hillary Clinton.  However, instead of eventually moving on from the defeat and preparing the next election, many on the left have grasped onto the narrative as a way to derail the President’s agenda.  Their sadness surrounding the reports is particularly peculiar.  Did they want Donald Trump to have colluded with the Russians?  Isn’t it a good thing that a two year investigation yielded no evidence of collaboration?

It is perfectly reasonable to disagree with President Trump’s agenda and deliver impassioned arguments that refute the efficacy of the proposed policies.  It is not reasonable to tout Robert Mueller’s bona fides for two years as an able investigator, only to walk them back upon an unwelcomed conclusion.  It’s irrational to believe that his integrity was only there if he provided the conclusion that they were looking for.  

President Trump’s presidency has had a level of polarization that has not be seen before.  Obviously, he used this level of polarization to motivate disillusioned Americans and stoke the polarization.  However, instead of addressing the issues, such as the opioid crisis, that pushed people to elect such an usual candidate instead of the more traditionally qualified candidate, the left has widely fantasized about the day the President is walked out of the White House in handcuffs.  It is easier, pyschologically, to classify the surprising election results as a symptom of a foreign power.

To maximize their chances in 2020, the Democrats and their allies in the media must realize that Russia is a non-starter for American voters and begin addressing the issues Americans actually care about. The time is now for the American government and members of the media, equipped with unique megaphone, to start representing the people once again.