Where are those people who don't accept Robert Mueller's report?

It looks like a lot of them are on twitter!

So Robert Mueller concluded that no Americans (much less anyone from the Trump campaign) conspired or coordinated with any Russians associated with anything having to do with the election meddling. This was his bottom line take away from his 22 month, $30 million dollar Special Counsel investigation. It was also very likely the most objectively honest portion of his report. Oh, and that opinion is factually backed by the fact that the indictment happy Mueller team was incapable of finding even one American to indict in regards to conspiracy or coordination.

So when someone gives you a list of how many people Mueller and his team "did" indict and charge, that doesn't justify the investigation. It actually just reinforces the idea that there was absolutely no evidence of conspiracy or coordination. Ever. Mueller indicted multiple people whom the FBI had previously chosen not to recommend for indictment. He dug up old crimes against Manafort and Gates. He indicted dozens of Russians for their involvement in their election meddling (with no chance of convicting any of them). Mueller called for a late night SWAT team raid on the home of a 70 year old man, so he could be arrested for a process crime.

But not one American was indicted for what he was tasked to investigate. Zero.

Let that sink in.

Sure, Mueller lists a whole bunch of contacts, which by fact of his own report, were not examples of conspiracy or coordination. These include members of the Trump Organization talking to Russian business associates about Business deals that had nothing to do with the election.  The list included Carter Page traveling to Russia to give an address at a Russian school which had nothing to do with the election. The list included Paul Manafort talking to Konstantin Kilimnik who was (like Manafort) a political consultant in Eastern Europe. He includes Russian diplomats reaching out to Trump transition team post election.  His ramblings mention several people who were not even Russian as examples of Russian contacts. The most egregious example being George Papadopoulos meeting with British professor Joseph Mifsud. Mueller lists this one under the pretense that Mifsud 'had ties" to Russia (which Mueller never clarifies, explains, or proves). Since then we have seen evidence that Mifsud has ties to British Intelligence, Fusion GPS, and the Clinton Foundation (something that Mueller never bothers to mention).

This one is especially egregious "because" the FBI and others have stated that Papadopoulos (who did little more than hear something and repeat something) was the reason that this entire thing began. How can it possibly be believed that a British professor saying something to a  low level campaign worker was any sort of a valid reason to start the biggest counterintelligence and possibly the most charged "criminal" investigation into a sitting President in the history of our county. Literally, the FBI is stating this started because of gossip over drinks between two people who had no real association with anyone. Moreover, this was gossip. No proof was given. No actual documents passed hands. No follow up. Just gossip. But we are expected to believe that this gossip started everything?

Make no mistake, this list is red herring. Plain and simple. None of it furthers the allegations of conspiracy or coordination. Many of these contacts had been going on long before Trump was even involved (Trump Organization and Russian Business interests - Gates, Manafort and Kilimnik). Many were completely normal behavior (business people talking to business people, political consultants taking to political consultants, foreign diplomats reaching out to transition teams). None were illegal in any manner, shape, or form.

Let me repeat that. None of these contacts were illegal in any manner, shape, or form. Not even Mueller disagrees with that fact (or of course he would have charged someone with something). But of course... he didn't charge anyone for any of it, now did he?

So how is it that some people just won't let go?

Well this is a case study in partisanship, bias confirmation, and cognitive dissonance. Imagine if you (like them) had spent the past two years exclusively listening to pundits on CNN and MSNBC,  and reading the NYT, Politico, and WaPo.

Imagine watching Rachel Maddow, Chris Wallace, and Don Lemon droning on and on about collusion for two years straight. Legal "experts" like Jeffry Toobin, Laurence Tribe, and Michael Avenatti giving you the "legal" reasoning why Mueller was finding everything he needed to prove a grand conspiracy. Former Obama officials like John Brennan, James Clapper and others coming on these shows and predicting all sorts of bombshell indictments, implying that they had inside information.

Imagine if all you read was reports in the Time and Post about "bombshells" surrounding the investigation coming from anonymous sources that journalist told you they could quote with "a high degree of confidence" that their damning information was real. Imagine if you were fed little more than Maggie Haberman, E.J Dionne and Nicholas Kristof all in lock step that the President was going down.

How could you "not" be convinced of what was going to happen? How could you not have overwhelming expectations after two years of being promised upcoming proof of conspiracy, that would involve indictments and arrests of high ranking Trump administration officials, quite possibly involving the President's own family and inner circle.  Of course, given how much many of these people flat out "hate" the President, this sort of thing is hard to let go.

The key to any good conspiracy theory is to not let it go. The reasoning is always the same. Lack of evidence is simply proof of a cover up. Conspiracy theorists  have to be prepared to step through these little speed bumps (like a 22 month $30 million investigation failing to prove any conspiracy or coordination). Let's call it dedication to their hatred and conspiracy theory and give them props for their efforts. It can't be easy to live in such denial!