A Loss of Legitimacy

The Hill reports that "FBI, DHS release report on Russia hacking". The article, which reports on the joint FBI-DHS report isn't as interesting as the comments, which seem universally dismissive of the report, with many disbelieving the report in light of what Wikileaks has said about the source of the materials, or because they can't believe that the FBI could investigate Hillary's private server for 2 years and not figure out if it was hacked, let alone by whom, but were able to reach a definitive conclusion in this case in a matter of several weeks. 

Of course, the whole purpose of this charade by the Obama Administration was not to root out who was behind the release of the DNC documents or Podesta emails, nor are the sanctions actually intended to punish the Russians, but all of this is to delegitimize the incoming Trump Administration. By releasing the report, and imposing sanctions, Obama wants to create enough "smoke" that the public will assume there must be a "fire"--i.e., that Trump only won because of Russia's alleged interference with the election. Obama is deliberately attempting to undermine his successor's legitimacy.

This tactic--a scorched earth tactic--is extremely dangerous because it will encourage further violent "activism" from various liberal and left-wing groups.