The high priced, high powered seasoned prosecution, team doesn’t appear to be as good as their reputation. Even responding with a “yeah” to the judge is a sign of disrespect.
I read a few of the leftist comments after the article. A number state that the documentary evidence will be what convicts Manafort and neither the judge’s treatment of the prosecution nor having Gates as the star witness will matter. Should Manafort be found innocent, I am sure they will change their position to how the judge biased the jury. I think the Politico article is out there to plant that argument. Things must not be very good for the prosecution, much worse than the article lets on.
The leftist are right, about the documentary evidence. If it was put into evidence properly by the prosecution, it will be what sways the jurors. The sponsors of that evidence, were folks much more credible than Gates.
Gates just provides the defense with an opportunity to suggest doubt regarding who did what, as well as a diversion of the prosecutions main focus. If a juror or two thinks Mueller’s team are jerks, or are over-stepping the line, there are now some rationales available for those jurors to hold firm to the “reasonable doubt” line.