We can’t correct the injustices in the past by demanding special treatment now. It is right and good to question the character and temperament of someone whose job isn’t simply passing legislation, but handling diplomatic interpersonal relationships and negotiating our country’s place in the world. Someone who abuses their power now, and has a long history of doing so, is not likely to blossom morally when given more power.

There is much about Klobuchar to admire, it’s true. In an age where Facebook is allowed to collect crazy amounts of data on its users unchecked, she has fought for privacy protections. She is one of the few politicians willing to fight the conflation of anti-Zionism with antisemitism and publicly critique the ruling powers of Israel and its creation of an apartheid state.

But questioning female candidates on a substantive issue, like the long-term mistreatment of employees and underlings, is not harassment, it is not abuse, and it is not misogyny. The election season is never-ending and demoralizing, but the process of sussing out hidden agendas and determining how a person performs under pressure is vital, particularly in a world changing dangerously quickly.