The Russians Are Coming

For John, BLUF:  The word out on the street is that President Trump is unhappy with an Intelligence Community report, given to the House Intelligence Oversight Committee, that Russia is working to reelect President Trump.  Russian interference in a US Election wouldn't surprise me.  Why should 2020 be difference from other Presidential elections back to when Lenin walked the earth?  But, why should this be different from other products from the IC, subject to varying interpretations?  Nothing to see here; just move along.

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Putin Can’t Be Rooting For Trump.  Why Russia Needs A Democrat Win

From Forbes, by Energy Historian Ellen R. Wald, 21 February 2020.

Here is the lede plus two:

The latest reports may insist that Russian president Vladimir Putin wants President Trump to win the 2020 election, but that’s just not logical.  Practically, Putin needs a Democrat to win.  The same goes for Saudi Arabia’s King Salman and his son Mohammed.  In fact, all of the countries that depend on oil production to power their economies desperately need a Democrat to win in November.

OPEC, Russia and their other partners have failed. Prices remain persistently low, and this is largely because the United States is producing record amounts of oil (and gas).  The US now produces more than 12 million barrels per day.  More than 10 percent of global oil production comes from the US and projections from the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) forecast that production will grow to 14 million barrels per day by 2022.

But, if a Democratic candidate becomes president next year, this could all change.  Various Democratic candidates have pledged to ban hydraulic fracturing, end offshore oil production, ban drilling on federal lands, institute carbon taxes and even prosecute oil executives.  Practically speaking, Democratic candidates have said they would put up one obstacle after another to impede and halt U.S. oil production.

This makes sense.  While President Trump may be President Putin's puppet, nothing he actually does supports this idea. 

Cui bono?  The Latin for "who benefits".  It doesn't look like anyone except America benefits from the actions of President Trump.

One wonders if this "Russian involvement" is an invention of the Hillary Clinton Campaign and is still virulent four years later.

Regards  —  Cliff