“I think that in an age where so much information is flying through cyberspace,” one expert said as the court martial of Bradley/Chelsea Manning opened in 2011, “we all have to be aware of the fact that some information which is sensitive, which does affect the security of individuals and relationships, deserves to be protected, and we will continue to take the necessary steps to do so.”

That expert, quoted by Manning defender Glenn Greenwald, was Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. Greenwald has a point when he criticizes the Obama administration for “wildly overzealous” prosecution of lower level officials for mishandling classified information. And he has a point when he argues that by the same standard Clinton would be facing prosecution herself.

Many Democrats are still prepared to vote for Clinton on the grounds that, even if she lied about and cheated on her emails, a Republican’s policies would be worse for the country. That’s an intellectually defensible position, though it suggests a certain discomfort.