Well, I do believe most people now realize what Hoover was like, including the highly partisan approach he took. And he basically ran the FBI as if he was a dictator of the agency, which is not the pattern today, especially since the leadership of the FBI is in transition.
I think much of the public has been fooled into thinking that the FBI is different today than it was under Hoover, but I don't see how. Hoover tried to foster an image of the FBI as above politics, clean, and incorruptible. But that image turned out to be false. I don't see why anyone should believe it today.
Part of the problem we're facing today is that too many people give a blank check of blind trust to the police, FBI, CIA, NSA, etc. Such attitudes are dangerous to a free and democratic society. In contrast, I believe that these agencies are run and operated by human beings who are just as fallible and susceptible to corruption/dishonesty/incompetence as any other human being. All humans are created equal - and just because someone wears a uniform, a suit, or a black robe, it doesn't make them any better or more honorable than someone wearing jeans and a t-shirt living out in the sticks.
Basically, the whole argument rests on the premise that the ruling class are "superior" to the Great Unwashed. Look at the methods of argumentation used and read between the lines of what they're actually saying.
It has been made quite clear that the investigation is not just based on "idle speculation", and I would also suggest that anyone who really looks at the news with any sense of objectivity should realize that Trump & Co. have been taking actions that defy even basic honesty, which undoubtedly is why he is researching the pardoning process.
Now, I do agree that we need to let these investigations run their course before jumping to any legal conclusions, but the actions of Trump defy even basic logic if he's done nothing wrong.
Reagan was alleged to have colluded with the Iranians before the 1980 election, while they were still holding Americans hostage. He also made an arms for hostages deal with them and got away with it. I consider that far more serious than any of the scandals surrounding Trump, and yet, he got away with it - and Oliver North was heralded as an "American hero." Does that make any sense?
I'm not saying that Trump is innocent, but this is clearly a case of the rats investigating the mice. If one can wade through all the smoke-and-mirrors and the torrent of political rhetoric - there's not much left. To me, if their case was really that strong, it wouldn't be necessary to pile on or use such a barrage of emotionally-charged rhetoric. These are political tactics which lawyers and pundits are famous for, but it doesn't fool me for a second.
Going by past precedent, months to years. Watergate took over 900 days.
I don't think it was that long. The investigation didn't really start in earnest until early 1973, and most of it was legal wrangling over the White House tapes. They had investigated most everything else within a few months, but they were stalled because they wanted to get their hands on those tapes and Nixon wasn't giving them up. The whole question on everyone's mind was "What did the President know and when did he know it?" The tapes would have answered that question.
This case is different because they don't have any tapes. Where else are they going to look and what else can they possibly find? Perhaps some "surprise witness" may step forward? What else can we expect in this? Are there any secret tapes or hidden e-mails somewhere that haven't been released yet? From what some are saying, they seem convinced that there's enough evidence already to convict Trump, so what are they waiting for? Start the impeachment proceedings, get it over with, and let the country move on. Either poop or get off the pot.