Russians engaging in ‘strategic’ interference?

(AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)

Hmm. Let’s see how this might play out.

Russia has re-entered the U.S. presidential election by trying to help Donald Trump win re-election. U.S. intelligence analysts have said as much to the president and to congressional leaders, prompting Trump to fire the acting director of national intelligence and replace him with a fierce loyalist

You got that? OK. Let’s look at the other side of it.

Russia also is helping Bernie Sanders, now the leading Democratic challenger to Trump. Sen. Sanders had a briefing on that bit of news. Why help Sanders? I’ll take a stab at it.

The Russians want the Democrats to nominate arguably the least electable challenger to Trump, enabling the president to cruise to re-election.

Sanders keeps talking about his own electability, how he’s going to get average Americans to rally to his side as he campaigns against Trump … assuming, of course, he gets the nomination.

I’m not sold on that notion. My strong hunch is that Russia is trying to sow deep division within the Democratic Party, which plays squarely into Donald Trump’s wheelhouse, paving the way to his re-election.

Just a thought.