US president must seize the opportunity for a brand of unconventional politics that lets bygones be bygones.
By Allan Jacob (Fine Print)
Published: Mon 25 Mar 2019, 7:38 PM
Last updated: Mon 25 Mar 2019, 11:16 PM
Now that we know that the alleged conspiracy between the Russians and presidential candidate Donald Trump in 2016 was a load of baloney, America has a chance to move on - if politicians allow them to take the high road.
For two years, I watched in dismay as American society reached near breaking point with President Trump in the White House. The Special Counsel Robert Mueller's investigation hung like a cloud over the presidency that everyone in the liberal circus loved to hate.
'Lasso Trump' had become a favourite past-time for those still smarting under the defeat he handed to Hillary Clinton three years ago. If that didn't work, they tried 'Blame Trump'. They smelt conspiracy from the start when there was none and everyone and their uncle were happy joining the party, giving their two worthless, unsubstantiated bits for consumption on some media, any media, to any troll who cared to listen.
They influenced, cajoled and threatened to make it appear that everything wrong with our (make-believe) wonderful world was due to Trump's many indiscretions and impropriety while they turned the mirror away from themselves. Some politicians who lorded over the Deep State in D.C., those entrenched in its cosy confines, wanted to bring down the president no matter what.
They conveniently ignored the damage it caused to the country's moral fabric and institutional foundations with their high-sounding bluster that only vitiated the climate of hate. Then, there was the trial by the media that spun every information about this presidency one way or the other - the loyal liberals (progressives, if you may) going the CNN way while the fiercely conservative tilting towards Fox and the like.
They manipulated and made up opinions and passed them off as the truth. And it didn't help that this presidency appeared to be in a constant state of meltdown with regular exits from Trump's top team. The president's distracting propensity to govern through charged tweets and abrasive statements only made matters worse.
In hindsight, this investigation appears to have wasted time, money and resources (and that includes those primetime shenanigans from TV show hosts). It achieved nothing to change the course of history as pundits had predicted long before the report was out. They were certain Mueller would find the president guilty and it beats me where they got their information from.
Their sources were leaks - that reeked of bias or partisanship. American political discourse sank to historical low levels of inanity during the years.
Watching the show unfold on this side of the world made my heart sink. Truth was the victim.
So why is the Mueller probe a waste of time and resources? To me, a mere observer, it may be complete, but is still inconclusive, thereby vindicating the president. It offers clarity on the president's alleged links to Russia. There is none, says the summary of the report. Was there obstruction of justice by this presidency? Here, Mueller throws the ball in the Department of Justice's court and wants the department to decide on further action.
Trump has said from the start that it was nothing but a 'witch-hunt' to discredit him and his presidency. I read Attorney General William Barr's summary of the Mueller report and this is what it said: "Nineteen lawyers were assisted by a team of approximately 40 FBI agents, intelligence forensic accountants, and other professional staff. The Special Counsel issued more than 2,800 subpoenas, executed nearly 500 search warrants, obtained more than 230 orders for communication records, issued almost 50 orders authorising use of pen registers, made 13 requests to foreign governments for evidence, and interviewed approximately 500 witnesses."
Yet, he found nothing serious that seriously damages the presidency. In fact, Trump will get a political boost from this report that makes him a clear frontrunner for elections next year. It gives the president some extra ammo as he heads into the campaign for his second term.
So, here's the truth, and it won't hurt to hear it again. Allow me to give the naysayers some unsolicited free advice. The special counsel, a stickler for the rule of law and a former FBI chief, has cleared the president...almost. The political threat to this presidency is over and America should return to the nut and bolts of governance sans the rancour and bitterness fuelled by the Left, Right, Centre and Alt-Right political class and the media that had a field day for two years.
Meanwhile, President Trump would do a great service to the American people by putting his 'Make America Great Again' campaign on the backburner. It could wait till he restores the public's faith in the presidency. Let tempers cool for a change. This is his chance for a new beginning and he must seize the opportunity for a brand of unconventional politics that lets bygones be bygones. But will he, is the question.
What are the takeaways from this investigation? The evidence did not magically show up as Trump critics had expected; the proof was missing from the pudding that Mueller served. "This is a good thing that Mueller found no collusion with Russia by Trump or his campaign. ... But the fact remains, Russians did interfere in our election," said Don Lemon on his show. Nice try, wise guy, like we didn't know all along.
The tabling of Mueller's full report will clear doubts in the minds of the people. Before that happens, expect the politicking and bickering to continue. Sometimes the high road is the road not taken.
- allan@khaleejtimes.com
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