I recently tumbled into a social media post about the depths of underappreciation for Curtis Sittenfeld’s 2020 novel “Rodham.”

I could relate. I’ve not read the book despite being a huge fan of the Minneapolis-based author since her 2005 debut “Prep.” I can recommend Sittenfeld’s two more recent efforts, “Romantic Comedy” and “Show Don’t Tell.” Both are loaded with sharp, funny, sweet lines and insights.

But I’m afraid to sink into “Rodham,” as it’s a fictional reimagining of former U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton’s life if she had broken off her engagement to former President Bill Clinton. In the novel, Hillary Rodham is elected president.

I’m not exaggerating when I say I remain so pained by 2016 that I find it difficult to glance at this book because of what happened in real life. The brainy, telegenic Hillary Clinton, a standout leader from her days as an undergraduate at Wellesley College and at Yale Law School, lost the presidency to the flimflam man Donald Trump, who snarled in disdain as he prowled the debate stage and called her a “nasty woman.”

Those infamous moments were one of dozens of misogynistic indignities the former first lady has endured in public life, from the mocking of her ankles to the humiliating “bimbo eruptions” related to her husband.

By the time Clinton ran for president, “Clinton Fatigue” had settled in, the transgressions of the former president dooming the former first lady’s aspirations. She was a highly accomplished woman burdened by an ancillary man’s baggage.

Yet somehow the U.S. electorate that buckled under the weight of Clinton Fatigue and misogyny continues to shoulder Trump’s racism and grifting. That history feels newly relevant in Minnesota, where two women are competing in a historic governor’s race — and two men who aren’t on the ballot threaten to overshadow them.

My colleague on the news side, Ryan Faircloth, recently reported that the candidacies of two Minnesota women are shaded by men: Trump for House Speaker Lisa Demuth and Gov. Tim Walz for U.S. Sen. Amy Klobuchar.

My hope for Minnesota is that we don’t allow the men who aren’t on the ballot to loom over this historic governor’s race like Trump did over Clinton on the 2016 debate stage.

The choice is Demuth or Klobuchar. Their relations with Trump and Walz are fair fodder, but I hope we can sharpen the focus on the women, their differences and what they’re saying.

One contrast here is that Demuth mostly continues to embrace Trump, seeking his endorsement. Klobuchar has not shared a stage with Walz during this campaign nor sought his backing.

As Demuth shows little interest in separating herself from Trump, DFLers highlight her silence on and inferred support for many of his policies, including federal surveillance of Minnesotans who protested immigration enforcement operations earlier this year.

Demuth has already shown she can win without Trump’s endorsement. She defeated Trump-backed candidate Mike Lindell in the primary.

The speaker has a compelling story to tell of her own swift, historic rise through the Minnesota House after starting out as a write-in candidate for the Rocori school board.

I hope she shares more about how her life has shaped her conservative beliefs on issues from taxes, abortion and guns to immigration enforcement.

I understand that Trump’s the dominant figure blotting out the sun right now in the Republican Party and that candidates cross him at their peril, but hiding in his shadow is a one-way ticket to defeat in November.

Regarding Klobuchar, the Republican ploy is more cynical, lacking in foundation and credibility. The GOP and Demuth claim that electing the senator would be tantamount to a third, fraud-riddled term for Walz.

Klobuchar and Walz are not Minnesota twins. She’s been in office longer and has won more statewide races than Walz.

Klobuchar was first elected to public office in 1998 as Hennepin County attorney. After two terms, she won election to the U.S. Senate in 2006, the same year Walz won his first election to the U.S. House.

Klobuchar’s a tireless advocate who needs no introduction to most Minnesotans. Her decades in the spotlight have been free of scandal.

In announcing her candidacy earlier this year, she squarely distanced herself from Walz: “I don’t like the status quo; I wouldn’t be running for governor if I wanted to have things remain the same.”

Klobuchar is precise with her words, and I am certain she contemplated that sentence at length before uttering it publicly. But we don’t have to take her word for it. She’s got a track record of standing on her own.

If Demuth continues to be enmeshed with Trump, that’s a telling and unfortunate choice. Those who want Demuth out from under Trump’s shadow may have seen a tiny ray of hope recently when she criticized the president’s plan to import tariff-free beef.

“While we all want lower prices, flooding the market with below-market foreign beef is the wrong approach. I have spoken to several Minnesota ranchers about their concerns regarding this important issue and will be conveying my views to the Trump administration,” she shared on social media.

In contrast, there’s no need to guess where Klobuchar stands regarding Walz. She’s ready to draw a line of demarcation on Day One with a top-to-bottom audit of state government.

Partisans are going to continue to use Trump and Walz against their opponents because neither man is terribly popular right now. The specter of their influence will loom over this campaign, but it shouldn’t be determinative.

Neither Trump nor Walz will be governor in January. Let’s not allow them to steal our attention. Let’s shine the light on Demuth and Klobuchar, allow them to speak for themselves and rise or fall on their own merits.

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