I'm not sure if this constitutes politics or what on HN, but as an outside, not taking part in the election and living in another country, here is my observation on this point.
Hillary f*ed up the Bernie Sanders campaign using pretty much the same tactics, only it was not the "Russians", they just did it themselves[0].
If anyone are to be accused for a dirty campaign it is her.
Well, at least future candidates know that they no longer need to spend billions on their campaign and can just spend a few hundred thousand on targeted Facebook ads instead.
> The Clinton campaign did not do anything remotely similar.
We are in agreement then that Clinton campaign was on a whole 'nother level.
Apologies, but going off-topic to respond. It's highly likely that when all the Russia stuff plays out, Trump's campaign will be seen to have been so full of moles as to make the Cambridge Five look like amateurs.
In terms of sheer audacity, the Russian campaign is unprecedented in ambition and success. The CIA will be unpicking this cluster-fuck for a decade at least.
After Trump is reelected he will close down the CIA. (To be clear: without my vote! He is a cretin and a horrible man and I would never vote for him. Still, I can be happy about happy events...)
That action will deserve the Nobel Peace Prize, but he won't get it.
The Clinton campaign did not do anything remotely similar.