The Arrogance of the Clintons

Hillary Clinton should be thankful for Donald Trump. If she had to run against a serious Republican, she wouldn’t have a chance at the presidency.

Hillary Clinton sometimes seems to be surprised that she is so unpopular with her fellow Americans, but they are only reacting to the example the Clintons set. Too often they demand special rules for themselves. If an affair threatens to come of it, they dispel suspicion with hair-splitting. And if that doesn’t help, they declare themselves victims of nitpicky small-minded people or murky powers. The most notable thing about “Clintonism” is its notorious arrogance.

The email affair is now a further example. As secretary of state, Clinton used a private server and thereby lacked the care and compliance expected of every official in dealing with state secrets. The FBI has now confirmed that she operated on the edge of what is prosecutable, but Clinton doesn’t act as if she’s learned much from this lack of judgment – even if it were only humility.

In a normal election year, Clinton’s pursuit of the presidency would be virtually over: Anyone who behaves so irresponsibly in a government office should not be entrusted with the White House. But this year, the alternative is Donald Trump, who is shoving his way into the highest office with a mixture of comedy and rabble-rousing. Clinton should be thankful because compared to him, she appears to be seriousness itself.