Tom’s Tidbits- We’ve waited forever for Mueller. Good. Very good.

Greetings,

We’ve waited a long time to read Mueller’s Report and to hear from The Man himself, and Wednesday’s subpoena means the wait is almost over. It’s been a painful time for those of us who want the stain laundered from the Oval Office and the pain is far from over. But Mueller’s grim and silent resolve have been more than a pointless frustration, they have been and remain a last hope for a crumbling American system. In Trumpworld unspoken norms are for losers, laws are either obeyed for convenience or used as bludgeons, and even basic standards of humanity are teetering. But the power of a single individual’s reputation still has value as it always has, and it may even be enough to save us now…

Humans have an almost cellular revulsion to lying because as a social species our survival depends on the trustworthiness of our tribe. And while of course everyone lies sometimes, not everyone is a “liar”. “Liar” means more than just lying, or even lying often, but Lying Often about Things That Matter. We don’t build our own reputations; our tribe does it for us. People see a difference between lying to a spouse about a bad haircut and lying to them about massive ongoing drug use. We’re not judged as much on how many lies we tell but for which lies we tell, about what, and most importantly, why. We may want to be seen as honest (or hardworking, or generous, or whatever) and may even try to be seen that way, but our reputation is made of others’ evaluations of us over a long period of time.

Robert Mueller earned his reputation for integrity and level-headedness among those he served, those he served with, and those who served under him, from across the political spectrum, for over 50 years. It’s one of the primary reasons he was appointed as Special Counsel. Trump partisans were sure to attack any inquiry at all, so it was absolutely essential that any investigation not only be thorough and non-partisan, but also look thorough and non-partisan. Mueller’s reputation for integrity and loyal service in both Republican and Democratic administrations would be critical for both the reality and image of fairness.

That foresight was tested every day since Mueller’s appointment. Few if any argue the content of Mueller, and then it’s only a token argument. The onslaught has focused on the presumed bias of the investigation and the investigators, a bias so far only supported by slander and innuendo. “Witch Hunt” and “Angry Democrats” are just the tip of the iceberg. Listen to Trump talk about the “lovers” Strock and Page, turning basic human emotion into something salacious and evil with only the power of slander. Cringe as Hannity screeches about the DNC roots of the Steele Dossier while ignoring the RNC seed it actually sprouted from. Thrill as FAUX News wonder why no one takes the President at his word and why The Media isn’t telling us about his glorious achievements… which they themselves seem at a loss to find. No, the Trumpets know they can’t argue the facts OR the law… they’re left with only the mud.

That’s why all Mueller’s methodical quiet is worth the frustration. If, during the investigation, he had given the Reps ANY indication of impropriety it’s all we’d be hearing about now. A slip at a press conference or a bungle on a Sunday Show could have derailed the entire thing. Even after the report was out, rebuking the lies of Barr could have given the appearance (but not the reality) of partiality so Mueller was painfully silent. He could have immediately complied when Congress asked him to testify but that could (and would) have been twisted into eagerness to help the Dems. Instead, he waited for a subpoena, defanging that argument as well.

Though Mueller’s “report is his testimony”, in three weeks the man himself will matter quite a bit as well. He’ll lay out the facts again but most of us still won’t read the report itself, and America’s been inoculated against the facts with a toxin of groundless doubt. We’ll still be left to believe either Robert Mueller or the actual President of the United States. And that’s why Mueller is about to shine. On one hand we’ll have a man with a demonstrated track record of courage, selflessness, service, integrity, and honesty… a man whose reputation says he doesn’t lie much, and not about the important things. On the other we’ll have… well, technically a man, but with a demonstrated track record of cowardice, selfishness, predation, corruption, and deceit… a man whose reputation says he lies indiscriminately on everything from petty personal embarrassments to issues of life and death.

Most post-Mueller-report Americans minds are made up one way or the other, and for the group that’s sure Trump’s guilty Mueller is unlikely to give them reason to doubt. But there is a narrow swath that’s still undecided, and an even narrower swath that’s sure Trump is not guilty but could change their mind. In July, two men will try to convince America about the complicated truth of a complicated situation and will have to rely on the power of their lifetimes’ reputation to do it. We’ll all watch, all compare and contrast… and all decide.

Make a great day,