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Obama Authorized a Secret Cyber Operation Against Russia, Says Report (engadget.com)
Jessica Conditt reports via Engadget: President Barack Obama learned of Russia's attempts to hack U.S. election systems in early August 2016, and as intelligence mounted over the following months, the White House deployed secrecy protocols it hadn't used since the 2011 raid on Osama bin Laden's compound, according to a report by The Washington Post. Apparently, one of the covert programs Obama, the CIA, NSA and other intelligence groups eventually put together was a new kind of cyber operation that places remotely triggered "implants" in critical Russian networks, ready for the U.S. to deploy in the event of a pre-emptive attack. The downed Russian networks "would cause them pain and discomfort," a former U.S. official told The Post. The report says CIA director John Brennan, Obama and other officials had at least four "blunt" conversations with Russian officials about its cyber intrusions beginning August 4th. Obama confronted Vladimir Putin in person during a meeting of world leaders in China this past September, the report says, and his administration even sent Russia a warning through a secure channel originally designed to help the two countries avoid a nuclear strike. Moscow apparently responded one week later -- after the U.S. election -- denying the accusation.
...if Russia hacked the election and they knew about it more than 6 months prior...
WHY DID THEY NOT TELL THE PUBLIC?
Think about that. If it was such a threat to our elections, why wouldn't you let us know? If this was Trump, the media would be ripping their hearts out and slapping them on the table while screaming "COLLUSION!" for not telling us.
Actually, it did. Whatever the outcome.
I don't think Putin's goal was the election of a specific candidate as it was to destroy confidence in the election process. He's succeeded at that.
1/ Russia is an oil and gas economy with little else as relevant. As an example, the Saudi price war on oil has hit them very hard. A climate change denier in the White House is good for their business.
2/ Putin began his move into politics railing against Bill Clinton and the US military actions in Europe that he ordered. He still brings those up from time to time. He's ranted a lot about Hillary when she was Secretary of State. It's kind of looking personal - he appears to have actively hated Hillary for decades.
3/ Instability - a President that "shakes things up" means that the US government is so distracted that Russia can get away with actions in the surrounding countries that would normally draw US attention. As an extreme example, if Putin invaded Ukraine tomorrow (he going for slow and sure so not going to happen) it's very unlikely that there would be a timely response of any kind, not even sanctions.
4/ Flattery will get you everywhere - as the Saudis showed with turning Trump against our best ally in the Middle East, Qatar, flatter the guy enough and you can play him like a flute. Putin has done that sort of thing before and recognizes someone he can manipulate in Trump.
So Trump was the guy for Putin to back even if you ignore the bank loans and everything else.