But the Clintons facilitate a thrilling scenario only to pollute it. They come wrapped in shiny folds of promise and good intentions, then the packaging comes off, and what lies beneath are emails from Sidney Blumenthal, shakedowns of Petra Nemcova.

Recently Bill wrote a letter to supporters of his, Hillary’s and Chelsea’s sprawling charitable foundation, outlining its global reach. He described the breadth of services it provides, including H.I.V./AIDS medicines for nearly 10 million people in 70 countries, and the diversity of people it supports, from farmers in Africa to female entrepreneurs in Latin America.

His words were a reminder that perhaps no other former president has lavished so much travel and star power on such an ambitious engine of good deeds. The foundation is an exemplar.

Until you peek inside and behold a convoluted braid of public service and personal aggrandizement, a queasy-making brew of altruism and vanity, a mechanism for employing loyalists and rewarding friends, a bazaar for favor trading. Straightforward admiration is no longer possible.