I've begun to wonder if Putin's back up plan (should Mueller succeed or the GOP is thwarted)

[C Moon]

is to instill a civil war in the U.S.
It sure appears divisions are beginning to grow larger; and with the digital age's ability to paint the truth so cloudy, it could work for him.
Then Putin could fund the Tea Bag /racist side.

[world wide wally]

1. He'll settle for whatever works.

What he really wants is a puppet or control of our military however he can get it.

[BigmanPigman]

2. They also a want an America that will have lawmakers

who will lift sanctions.

[CakeGrrl]

3. He stoked racial tensions to mobilize Trump's base.

Russian accounts on Facebook posed as Black Lives Matter activists to get White Nationalists riled up.

Putin gauged and weaponized America's weaknesses well:

Increasing ignorance of American history through erosion of the education system;

Decreasing skills relative to the highly-skilled workers of other nations;

Working white voters' social "anxiety" over increasing diversity and their increasing resentment of those groups, fueled by RW hate radio lies and a false sense of entitlement;

Voter apathy and complacency during off-year elections.

[C Moon]

4. Ah. I see what you're saying. Yes, that makes sense.

[Xolodno]

5. At this point, I don't think he cares...

...he got everything he wanted and then some by 10 fold.

Read an article awhile ago that stated his goal was to hinder a President Clinton with domestic issues, as to keep her focus away from international, thus he would have more influence. Trump winning was far more than he expected. And as such, its damaged us for the long term.

Everyone in the world knows he messed with our election...that doesn't excuse what happened. Putin is going to use that in every international forum and state, "you can't trust the USA, it was easy for me to meddle a bit and look who they elected! I'm the adult and stable one in the room". And with nations who are on the weaker side, they are going to look at Putin as "if he can seriously mess up the USA...he can do a lot worse with us, best stay on his good side".

[C Moon]

6. +1000

[SergeStorms]

7. Should the GOP fail.....

to pass the "Let's give more money to those who don't need it" bill, the GOP mega-donors are going to cinch the money bags shut.

Of course they won't feel normal without trying to buy some politicians. That's why Steve Bannon is waiting on the sidelines, ready to run a primary challenge on any Republican who won't join his fascist push to the far right he's been wanting since he switched from beer to hard liquor, decades ago. He'd love to get his hands on all that wealthy GOP donor money, and create as much havoc as possible.

[FarCenter]

8. Allegedly Russian trolls have advocated for both the extreme right and extreme left

If the ambition is to foment social conflict, the rational approach is to work both ends of the political spectrum.

Of course, there are many non-governmental organizations around the world that hold both extreme left and right views, so it isn't only Russian trolls that promote those positions.