Comey, Clinton, Nixon and Payback

In a political season that has confused and dismayed me; in a cycle where I have made one mistake after another in judging how cards would fall; in a time when I have relied on history, intelligence and reason only to have all three fail me I can answer with certainty only one question.  I know why FBI Director James Comey pulled his “October Surprise.”  Had I been a fly on the wall, watching it all happen, I could not see it more clearly.

First, you must understand that Hillary Clinton is the reincarnation of Richard Nixon.  They are both paranoid.  [They both have an “enemies” list, for God’s sake!] They are both crooked, justifying any transgression as simple pay-back for a world that is “out to get them.”  They are angry, foul-mouthed, suspicious, opportunistic, manipulative people.  They both also have enough personal charm to attract burqa wearing minions who will do their bidding, even without being told.  These servants of the master simply want to be toady-in-chief and assume that being a spontaneous toady is the way to do it. 

With this kind of emotional baggage, I know what went on when Hillary Clinton gave three hours of testimony to the FBI on July 2 of this year.  Taking a page from Bill’s “It depends on what the definition of ‘is’ is.” Clinton entered the hearing with a "catch me if you can" attitude,  sat down and repeated over three dozen (!!!) times that she couldn’t remember.  She repeated, over and over again, the one statement that could not be challenged on cross: I can’t remember.  She repeated the one phrase that a person under oath can later change without legal peril: I can’t remember.  She used the legally smart but clearly disingenuous phrase: I can’t remember.

Everyone in that room knew what she was doing.  I can see the smirk playing around her mouth as she said the words.  Essentially, she told the FBI and James Comey to go screw themselves.  She knew she had Comey by the uncomfortables and she wasn’t letting go.  If he chose to indict her she would accuse him of politically biased electioneering and thus win by de facto.  If he chose to exonerate her she would win by de jure.  Either way she won; he lost; she was going to enjoy this moment of victory over the vast right-wing conspiracy.  So she rubbed their noses in it.  "I can't remember."

The problem with that is that you don’t get to be Directory of the FBI by being a wimp.  Comey is a steely-eyed realist.  He knew he was being played and that he had lost this round.  But he didn’t like being treated with Clinton’s kind of disrespect.  When Clinton left that interrogation room after tossing a verbal one-finger salute to the nation’s top Police Officer Comey put a mental check mark into a column next to Clinton’s name. 

He knew he was going to have a second bite at that rotten little apple.  He didn’t know when or where or how, but he knew he would have his chance.  Whether it was Anthony Weiner (the gift that keeps on giving) or someone else, there was going to be another leak in the dam and Comey was going to use and enjoy that moment.  He has.

Now the point here is not that Clinton is a mean-spirited miserable manipulator.  We already know that.  It isn’t even that she is a better choice than Trump.  Trump is just Weiner with a high-carb diet.  Trump has all of Clinton’s faults and then trumps them with the ace of ignorance.  They point is, anyone who doesn’t know what they are getting this election cycle is either a fool or in denial.  Comey does.  But for all of that, while Nixon was a mean-spirited, horrible human being, he wasn't a half-bad President.  I am hoping that his doppelganger, Hillary Clinton turns out to be the same. 

I’m hoping we can keep the faith for four more years and start new.