User blog comment:DarkSaiyanMitsubi/Empire or Stormcloaks?/@comment-1786741-20121010075951/@comment-1080767-20121011055217

I think the more important thing for the Thalmor might be destroying the Empire, though, not rooting out Talos worship. Both the Cyrodiilian Empire and the Aldmeri Dominion mention continued war in the forseeable future, so no Skyrim for the Empire means easily winning the arms race. In that sense, securing the secession of Skyrim is a good thing for the Thalmor; at least it's more helpful than picking at the locals one-by-one by accusing them of Talos worship.