Finally, President Trump does something I like, but he doesn’t go far enough.
He has invited Russian President Vladimir Putin to another summit in Washington D.C. And the invitation is for this fall, during the election season.
But why should Putin bother with DC? The fall action for anyone interested in election interference will be in the Congressional campaigns, and no state has more important Congressional elections than California’s.
Trump would be wise to invite Putin out to campaign with him out here.
First, they’ll have to keep their distance from John Cox. The GOP candidate for governor has promised to bring President Trump out, so Cox would probably be only more delighted if Trump would bring his apparent boss, Putin, along. But Cox is a surefire loser, and Putin and Trump don’t want to be tainted by a joint appearance.
Putin almost might be tempted to visit the Russian River, and maybe do some kayaking, presumably bare-chested. But no, there is no time for that either.
Instead, Putin needs to rally the GOP base, which has embraced the Russian dictator. That GOP love of Putin seems to have to do with Trump’s obedience to him; Putin’s odor of fascist authoritarian thuggery is also very much in vogue in GOP circles.
So I see Putin touring the fishhook of California, for key races.
First will come a stop in Orange County for him to reconnect with Russian asset – just ask Kevin McCarthy – and incumbent Congressman Dana Rohrabacher. From there, Putin could lead a bus tour through the High Desert, where he stumps for Steve Knight, followed by Bakersfield (like Russia, an oil state with an otherwise weak economy), and concluding in the San Joaquin Valley district of Devin Nunes.
I’d suggest Putin would enjoy a stroll down Main Street for a grip-and-grin. The Tulare County Symphony could do a special Tchaikovsky show, and Putin and Nunes could get steaks at the Double LL, while they compare notes on how to rid themselves of meddlesome journalists. In the evening, they could take in a Rawhide game.
Sure, Democrats will howl at the spectacle of Putin interfering in the election openly. But no one in the Republican base will care. And Putin could probably find time to plan another one of his targeted assassinations, maybe of some of his many critics at Stanford.
It’s only fair that if you’re going to undermine our democracy, you might as well give people a show in the process.