During the original investigation, and through July, the Clinton campaign and its political allies ( I'm lookin' at you, Media) launched attacks at Republicans in general for wasting time in the Hillary witch hunt, but they did not directly attack the FBI. It misrepresented a few FBI statements, sure, but it did not target investigators in the way we're seeing now. The cynical among us might think that's because she was sure it was in the bag. The fix was in. I don't know.
But now we have open hostilities between Lynch at the DOJ and Comey at the FBI. And we have the Clinton campaign circulating a letter attacking the FBI. And we have countless media hit pieces aimed at the FBI. SO many media hit pieces. It's almost like there's a coordinated effort.
The obvious question is why the direct attack on Comey and the FBI? It's the kind of tactic that may play to your core base, but alienates everyone else. Including the media. Even the mainstream media isn't gonna her water bucket forever in this. As Monday wore to a close, even her own cable news network began repeating the fact that if it wasn't for a super sekrit email server, none of them would be in this position.
So what's going on here?
A) The Clinton campaign thought they were done. It's almost over, the fat lady was warming up in the wings. Then this. So they're lashing out. It's classic paranoid and nasty behavior by the campaign. Hillary tried playing humble. She tried apologizing. She made a mistake (never mind the fact that prisons are chock full of people who made a mistake). But a moment ago, her victory seemed inevitable, SNAP, and now she's in a state of fury at having it put at risk. <expletive> <expletive> <expletive>
B) There is something actually in those emails that genuinely frightens the Clinton campaign. Which is why it took the crazy risk of going after the FBI with both barrels. It's desperate to smear the FBI as much as possible in order to neutralize any revelations or even potential charges. The attacks are a warning to back off, calm down, treat Hillary with kid gloves again. Or else.
For all of Hillary's awkwardness, and ickyness, she didn't lose it in the past. Why is she losing it now? I mean, she's full-on losing it. If the Clinton campaign were panicking, this is what it would look like. Trump already stole her "rigged" thunder. She can't blame herself, that's a given. She can't blame Trump. She can't blame the vast right wing conspiracy. She can't blame the media, that's for sure. She can't blame Lynch. She can't blame her lover. Or even her husband. The only one left is Comey. It's a panic.
Meanwhile Trump is just giggling. Out loud.