As I’m writing, CNN is on telling me that “the emails are still voters’ highest concern.” And the reason would be … what? Can anyone name a way in which the nation, the State Department, or a single individual was harmed by Hillary Clinton’s having a private email server? Was a single policy disturbed because Clinton failed to spot a ‘c’ lurking in the text of an email? It’s an important and terrible thing because it’s an important and terrible thing.

Meanwhile, we have a candidate for president who is actually under investigation, right now, today, for his possible collusion with the Russian government. A candidate who has scheduled court dates for fraud and deception related to his fake university. A candidate who, a month after the election, will appear in court to face allegations that he raped a 13-year-old child. That same candidate repeatedly broke the law with his fake charity, while cheating workers, stiffing contractors, and sneering at tax payers. That same candidate bragged—bragged—that his wealth and fame gave him the power to treat women however he wanted, including engaging in sexual assault without consequences.

There are real issues in the election. Issues of the economy, of immigration, and education. Issues of just how willing this nation is to veer toward a white nationalist who every single day of the campaign has waved a banner of racism, bigotry, and misogyny.

But all of that … is barely a whisper. A whisper. Because the machine is running. Still running. Ever running.

If you start with the assumption that Clinton is corrupt, then of course Comey's letter is the biggest story of the election. After all, even if the FBI hasn't reviewed the e-mails (the agency only just obtained a warrant to do so), there must be something in them: They're e-mails, and we know there's something wrong with Clinton's e-mails, because we keep hearing about how her e-mails are connected to some grave scandal. If nothing else, it raises questions. Certainly a shadow is looming over her campaign. Donald Trump's campaign rallies are full of (deplorable) people shouting "lock her up," but none of them seem able to describe exactly what she's done to deserve a prison term, beyond conspiratorial nonsense. Clinton should be in jail because she's corrupt, and we know she's corrupt because we keep investigating her for corruption, the thinking goes.

There must be a pony. Dig! There must be a pony. Dig! There must be ...