Diana Doll: Actually, Russian leaks did have an impact on the Clinton campaign

Ruben Navarrette’s column “Podesta deflects blame in Clinton loss” (Page 9A, Dec.23) doesn’t quite ring true. It appears he sifted through the Democratic campaign emails and found something that got under his skin. Let’s remember this was private correspondence stolen through a concerted Russian effort and then given piecemeal to the media. Instead of being ignored, the documents were mined for gossipy or attention-getting bits which amplified the Russian goal: to produce an overall negative perception.

In contrast, quoting the ethical and clear-eyed Joe Klein in Time magazine: “The overwhelming impression is of the candidate’s and her staff’s competence and sanity – and something more: a refreshing sense of reality about the vagaries of politics.” He was struck by the careful, intelligent way the Clinton staff went about their business.

Navarrette also disparages John Podesta for blaming the FBI. Reality is the leaks did cause stress and uncertainty and the FBI letter did temporarily produce a dampening and deflating pall. The Clinton campaign is going through a grieving process. A little blaming is understandable. Healing and perspective take time. Navarrette would do better to save his harsh criticism. It might come in handy in the future.

This story was originally published December 30, 2016 at 2:50 PM with the headline "Diana Doll: Actually, Russian leaks did have an impact on the Clinton campaign."