Yeah, definitely agree there's a lot of danger of getting politically owned here. One thing I've been uneasy about over the last couple years is that I think Trump, being just unimaginably narcissistic, would be on this WITCH HUNT! tip with or without being in any actual danger from the investigation. Normal people are like "lol, screaming like a stuck pig, clearly has **** to hide" but it's not necessarily true for narcissists, as merely being accused of imperfect will make them angry regardless of whether the accusations are true. From a Psychology Today article on NPD:
Quote:
And so when they're criticized, or think they're being criticized (and they're definitely hyper-alert to the possibility), they're compelled to react aggressively... It's precisely this need to be viewed as perfect, superlative, or infallible that makes them so hypersensitive to criticism. And their typical reaction to criticism, disagreement, challenges-or sometimes even the mere suggestion that they consider doing something differently-can lead to the "narcissistic rage" that is another of their trademarks. To protect their delicate ego in the face of such intensely felt danger, they're decidedly at risk for going ballistic against their perceived adversary.
Remember when that Gold Star Muslim father attacked him at the Democratic Convention?
He didn't do this because what this guy said actually mattered at all, or because he thought there was any truth to it. He purely and simply can't help himself when he gets attacked, he has to reply.
Of course, I think there is actually substance to the Russia allegations. But I'm not so sure that the degree of Trump's bluster is a good guide to how close Mueller is getting to anything dangerous. And I think repeatedly screaming WITCH HUNT! about an investigation that probably isn't going to get anywhere is an interesting political strategy, because then the next time you scream about something repeatedly, people will be inclined to believe you, on top of the normal benefits in convincing people that simple repetition provides anyway. Obviously I don't think this is a conscious political strategy on the part of Trump, but it might end up working out for him if the Dems are not careful.