[ufmace]

I don't think their goal was actually to sway the election. They know well enough that their work is pocket change compared to what both parties' campaigns and ordinary American activists on both sides already do. What they want to do is increase the divisions in our society. The more we fight each other, the less political "bandwidth" we have to project power internationally.

If both parties are unified in pursuit of one goal, then we may act vigorously on it over the long term through the course of multiple changes in which party controls what. If both parties can't stand each other enough to cooperate on anything, then foreign policy and behavior will be half-hearted pushes in constantly changing directions.

Russia can't and doesn't want to control us entirely. They do want us to not interfere effectively in their attempts to control the neighboring Eastern European states.