It’s simply mystifying that so many Americans look to candidates who pretend to be just like them. We’re the worst. In the rare instance I am moved to vote, the least I expect is for a candidate to be far more successful than I am.

This last hurdle is not particularly challenging, mind you. Which brings me to Hillary Clinton, whose clumsy efforts to convince America that she’s a commoner not only are transparently silly but intentionally discount her most impressive gift: the ability to persuade rational people to pony up $200,000 (The Wall Street Journal says she was paid $300,000 for a speech at UCLA) to hear her talk about a career in politics. One thing’s for sure: Those students would benefit far more from a talk about the inner workings of Clinton Inc.’s multimillion-dollar business than they will sitting through an hour of platitudes about public service.