General Discussion
Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsI blame James Comey for Trump.
More than Putin. More than Bernie Sanders. More than Jill Stein.
More than "Uncommitted". More than 'the debate'. More than Joe Rogan.
Had James Comey kept his sanctimonious mouth shut, like FBI directors are supposed to, Sec. Clinton would've gotten the 13 additional votes she would've needed to win WI, PA, and MI.
And maybe elsewhere.
Mr. Comey will remain wealthy and vaunted as a martyr for democracy when in fact he is the man most responsible for its downfall.
The audacity that he pokes the bear with his stoopid social media posts... Maybe he's just an ass.
lostincalifornia
(5,520 posts)mr715
(4,151 posts)But also having your cake and eating it too.
lostincalifornia
(5,520 posts)canetoad
(21,015 posts)To read this 2017 article from Seth Abramson.
Information presently public and available confirms that Erik Prince, Rudy Giuliani, and Donald Trump conspired to intimidate FBI Director James Comey into interfering in, and thus directly affecting, the 2016 presidential election. This conspiracy was made possible with the assistance of officers in the New York Police Department and agents within the New York field office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. All of the major actors in the conspiracy have already confessed to its particulars either in word or in deed; moreover, all of the major actors have publicly exhibited consciousness of guilt after the fact. This assessment has already been the subject of articles in news outlets on both sides of the political spectrum, but has not yet received substantial investigation by major media.
While a full summary of the Prince-Giuliani-Trump conspiracy would require a longer discourse, the actions of these men, along with multiple still-anonymous actors, can be summarized in five paragraphs. It will be for journalists with more resources than this writer to follow up on these leadsand, moreover, to see how this domestic conspiracy dovetails with the Trump-Russia controversy, though this too is briefly addressed below.
https://www.huffpost.com/entry/the-domestic-conspiracy-that-gave-trump-the-election_b_587ed24fe4b0b110fe11dbf9
AZJonnie
(4,010 posts)In addition to the scoundrels spoken about in this article, I put MUCH more of the blame on the M$M who blew up this absolutely routine letter to Congress from Comey into the biggest story since fucking Watergate. The FBI DID NOT "reopen the Clinton investigation" like the media loudly proclaimed in every headline.
The investigation was considered closed, but the GQP-led Congress demanded a standing order from the FBI that if any additional evidence was being looking at, they would be looped in. Comey's letter was routine and congressionally required, and he DID NOT say "we're formally re-opening the investigation".
The media blowing it completely out of proportion was MUCH more the problem. Additionally, Clinton should've spent more time shoring up her support in the "Blue Wall States", which turned out to NOT be that.
Blaming it on Comey is a cop-out, IMHO. But I know this opinion is unpopular, so, flame away, friends
StevieM
(10,583 posts)She hardly ignored those states. She also held more rallies in Pennsylvania than any other state, in a first-place tie with Ohio and Florida, which were widely considered battleground throughout that race. And contrary to post-election reporting, she did hold a couple of rallies in Michigan.
In any event, where candidates held their rallies was not what determined whether they won a given state. And nobody accused her of ignoring these states during the election, even though this information was obviously public knowledge.
canetoad
(21,015 posts)That's the reason I've hung onto that bookmark for all those years. I believe Comey really had no choice and yes, the media blew it out of all proportion.
Johonny
(26,590 posts)They really are the only ones to blame.
mr715
(4,151 posts)So, while I agree with you, I also blame the shepherds leading the sheep to the slaughterhouse.
RandomNumbers
(19,263 posts)Particularly those who were supposedly on the same side as us.
(but to your point, Comey really should spend more time looking in the mirror at his own complicity)
mr715
(4,151 posts)Completely agree we need to mind our allies. But we also need to remember our (historical) enemies.
LetMyPeopleVote
(181,996 posts)I also blame Comey for trump's election.
Comey concedes he may have been responsible for Trump's election
— Vincent Wanders Aimlessly (@vwaimlessly.bsky.social) 2025-09-26T17:40:29.552Z
www.axios.com/2019/04/02/c...
https://www.axios.com/2019/04/02/comey-concedes-responsible-trump-election-hillary-clinton
Amanpour: "Do you ever think that you might be responsible for the election of President Trump? Does that keep you up at night?"
Comey: "Sure. And I hope someday somebody proves that we were irrelevant. ... I hope we had no impact. I hope it's proven that it was irrelevant. But all it does is increase the pain. It doesn't change how I think about the decision. My view and the view of my team was: I cannot conceal from the American people that the investigation we told them, and fought to tell them, is done, is done, is done is not done, and the result could change."
spooky3
(38,859 posts)Suggests he doesnt realize what he did was wrong.
I blame him but the blame also must be shared with nonvoters, Trump voters, Rupert Murdoch and friends, the NYT and other sanewashers, etc.
QueerDuck
(1,939 posts)LetMyPeopleVote
(181,996 posts)I was training some attorneys who were going to do voter protection at a downtown law firm when the first letter came out. One of my firm's associates was taking this course and was making a funny face during my class. Later I was shocked to hear what Comey did in that it was a DOJ cardinal rule that you take no steps close to an election.
Link to tweet


These letters got trump elected in 2016
spooky3
(38,859 posts)Under investigation at that same time.
LetMyPeopleVote
(181,996 posts)Comey was an asshole and attacked Hillary Clinton when he announced that there would be no charges on the email issue. Under DOJ rules, when the decision not to proceed is made, there is NO announcement. Comey was an asshole and held a press conference where he attacked Clinton.
This press conference was so offensive and against DOJ policy that the DOJ inspector general called Comey out.
The DOJ's inspector general agreed that Comey "violated long-standing Department practice and protocol by, among other things, criticizing Clintons uncharged conduct," and that Comey "usurped the authority of the Attorney General." https://oig.justice.gov/node/640

SocialDemocrat61
(8,031 posts)he said, 'there was no proof that Clinton's email server' wasn't hacked by russia'. That's like saying there is no proof that person X is not a murderer. Totally unacceptable.
RustyWheels
(206 posts)If Bill Clinton hadnt boarded AG Loretta Lynchs plane - just to say hi, and chat about family & friends, while Hillary was under investigation for her emails, then Lynch would not have recused herself, leaving Comey in charge.
Without that, Lynch would never have allowed Comey to go public with the biased statements regarding the FBIs findings.
🤬🤬🤬🤬🤬
mr715
(4,151 posts)That I thought Bill Clinton was hurting then Sen. and eventually Sec. Clinton's chances.
mucifer
(25,729 posts)for dropping the ball.
SocialDemocrat61
(8,031 posts)Comey, Stein, Susan Sarandon, George Clooney, Jon Stewart and every republican. None get a pass.
StevieM
(10,583 posts)If not for his repeated interference, she also would have won Arizona, Florida and North Carolina.
Also, for the record, Gary Johnson probably took more votes away from Hillary than Jill Stein did.
mr715
(4,151 posts)luv2fly
(2,707 posts)For not having a condom when he needed one.
LessAspin
(2,013 posts)I agree with Comey and I don't think you can discount this Michael Bay movie given how much Benghazi was dominating the headlines at the time..
With the Super Bowl ad for Trump by Michael Bay it's worth recalling that Bay released his Benghazi movie in the middle of the 2016 Presidential campaign.
I always found the timing of that interesting in spite of Michael Bay assuring us that was just a coincidence.
Nothing political at all
https://www.democraticunderground.com/127011599
Locutusofborg
(596 posts)and 312 Electors for Trump. Most of them don't know who James Comey is.
FullySupportDems
(490 posts)Money in politics. Citizens United, nail in our coffin. Imho money makes people do things they'd never do for anything else. You can "hire" someone to do just about anything. And I'll always wonder about Comey.
themaguffin
(5,415 posts)Happy Hoosier
(9,622 posts)the blame really lies with 10's of millions of our fellow Americans who are utter pieces of shit.
DavidDvorkin
(20,683 posts)JI7
(93,899 posts)biocube
(262 posts)You went for the unpopular establishment candidate in an election that was a rebuke of the establishment.
mr715
(4,151 posts)ananda
(35,502 posts)Period.
Vinca
(54,329 posts)
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