Now, of course, Donald Trump himself has openly admitted to participating in exactly this kind of pay-for-play political corruption from the private sector side. He’s gotten government to bully property owners that stand in his way. He admits to donating to politicians as the price of doing business, even referring to donations to Hillary Clinton herself.

But what does the public find more shameful? Is it the businessman who looks after his own interests, using government to smooth his real-estate business and casino interests? Or the government official, who prostitutes the public offices she uses, not only for personal gain, but sometimes in ways that work to legitimize human-rights abusers in Africa, or enrich shady Middle Eastern business concerns, or give Russian companies greater access to weapons material? We’re going to find out.

The Democrats have only themselves to blame for this. For years, liberal politics has been moving away from the triangulating, neo-liberal, wine-track politics of the Clintons. And for years, the public at large has become more and more restive when it comes to the politics of elite cronyism and bailouts for big players.

But Democrats nominated one of their most impeachable figures anyway.