Why Does Hillary Stay Popular Despite Frequent Scandals?

Recently, more fuel was added to the fire of Hillary Clinton’s “email-gate.” It was officially confirmed that Hillary’s team did not previously release approximately 15,000 emails to the State Department, and the State Department is reviewing those emails to determine if they contained any content involving official business.

Clinton’s email-gate has already gone from version one to version three, with the first version revealing that Clinton used a personal email account for official business, creating a public uproar. In version two, additional emails disclosed by WikiLeaks revealed that Clinton and senior Democratic Party officials were privately favoring presidential candidates; the Democratic Party committee claimed it was fundraising for the party but instead used the money for personal campaigns and attacks on Bernie Sanders, the other Democratic presidential candidate. Clinton also manipulated the media, often “previewing” news articles, etc.

In version three, unveiled in early August, it was claimed that donors to the Clinton Foundation secured private deals with the American government; some donors also had “undesirable human rights records” which were unacceptable to American society, showing how donations to the Clintons provided secret benefits. Many people immediately thought of one thing constantly after hearing about these scandals: corruption.

With about two months left before the presidential election, Donald Trump’s campaign and the Republicans have tried to launch attacks based on email-gate. Trump has bluntly called Clinton a “criminal.” If America had China’s Central Commission for Discipline Inspection, Clinton could be “required to report her problems within a prescribed time and in a prescribed place” at any time. Yet, the Hillary-supporting elite and the American media have chosen to treat these scandals in a very low key manner; either they don’t mention email-gate at all or they downplay the issue. The vastly different attitudes in America toward email-gate have really confounded the outside world.

If the Americans don’t know how to deal with these scandals, what can outsiders say? This year’s American presidential election has exposed some truths which could rightfully be labeled as scandals. The American democratic system is not as transparent or just as outsiders believed. Clinton seems to be very resilient; she resists any and all attacks. Following round after round of confirmed scandal and controversy, her ship is still steady and above water.

Maybe American society really believes politics are like the TV show “House of Cards” and have a strong stomach for politicians’ bad behavior. Anyone who has reached the final rounds in the American presidential election has obviously used both good and evil tactics. Both candidates are very charismatic in their speeches; it has been as if they were talking to the audience from their heart, even though each word in those speeches was probably designed and often memorized. There is no telling what the candidates will say or do after they leave the podium, which could be the polar opposite of what they have just said. Americans seem to be very familiar with this routine.

American society is very realistic. Trump is spouting nonsense and Clinton is plagued by scandal; maybe most voters will not choose either one. But right now, these two are the only peaches left on the table (the third-party candidates may be trendy, but they are purely decorative). Both candidates are rotten, and the American voter can only pick the one that is slightly less so.

American democracy is at the peak of Western democratic evolution. After a period of ascent, elite American politicians are most likely the best “actors” among all Western politicians.

Yet the American presidential election has not only provided juicy drama exposing scandal, it has also given us some deep insight. We know there are many fakes in an election, just like at the Panjiayuan antiques market in Beijing, but everyone is in the show together and are very invested in the acting. There’s always something to make us very emotional. Maybe American society will keep evolving like this; compared laterally, it is really “one of the least bad” countries.

The rise of realism occurred in America, and pragmatism could be called “the realism within realism.” Presidential elections once brought motivation to a rising America, so elections have continued. After some “trial presidents” were identified, however, problems emerged. But the presidential elections are still the flagship of the American system, and no matter how ludicrous they have become, they still stand. America is still America. America dares to change anything, but presidential elections are forever. As long as presidential elections continue, America cannot change anything else or have the time to change anything else. In America, when the country cannot reform, at least the president can be replaced, the people are able to vent their frustration, and the politicians are absolved.

American politics’ true character is how inflexible they are. The nasty battles between the two parties have demonstrated how the system is unable to make any major changes; it is too entrenched in the status quo, ensuring that the system won’t easily change its tune. Competing with an America like this, there is no point in hoping it will suddenly decline or collapse. Any competitor will have to solidly develop its national strength until the day its combined strength can rival America.