The US is a very legalistic society. When confronted with a scandal - eg a major-party candidate for president building his campaign on assistance from the espionage agencies of a hostile foreign government - Americans instinctively look to the criminal law for help. But ...
... not every wrong thing is a crime, and even many things that might be crime cannot be proven in ways that would justify a federal criminal indictment.
That was Mueller obstacle 1.
That was Mueller obstacle 1.
And even when there are suspicions of crimes in a politician's past - tax evasion, money laundering - federal practice demands a strong specific indication of wrongdoing to justify an investigation. That was Mueller obstacle 2.
Trump-Russia presented a challenge to the US political system. In this hyper-polarized era, could US citizens set aside partisan loyalty in the face of actions that were so terribly, seriously, and clearly *wrong* - even if those actions did not support a criminal indictment?
That was the challenge of Trump-Russia. And sadly ... it was a challenge mostly failed. My story in @TheAtlantic theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/…
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