The news cycle has seized on the controversies surrounding Republican nominee Donald Trump, who was memorably described by his Democratic rival Hillary Clinton as "the only presidential candidate ever to get into a public feud with the Pope".
In return, Clinton's opponents have accused her of being everything from a communist to a corporate stooge.
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But what does she actually plan to do as president?
With sex scandals and Twitter wars dominating the headlines, it's easy for policy details to become drowned out in the noise.
Here are eleven key pledges from her campaign website that would form the basis of President Hillary Clinton's America:
The economy: The keystone of Clinton's five-point plan for boosting the economy is a comprehensive package of legislation to invest in creating sustainable jobs in infrastructure, manufacturing, technology, clean energy and small businesses. It would be "the boldest investment in good-paying jobs since World War II", her campaign claims, and she aims to have the paperwork signed off within her first 100 days in office.
Foreign affairs: Clinton's pledge to strengthen ties with international organisations such as Nato puts her at odds with Trump. She advocates continued protection of Israel, further rapprochement with Cuba and a "firm but wise" approach to diplomacy with potentially hostile nations such as Russia and China.
Immigration: In stark contrast to her rival's hardline pledges on illegal immigration, Clinton focuses on keeping families together and allowing some undocumented immigrants to pursue a path to citizenship. She would make violent or criminal illegal immigrants the priority for deportation.
Criminal justice reform: A sensitive issue for Clinton, who has been accused supporting legislation from the 1990s that sent a disproportionate amount of black men to prison. Her manifesto reads as an attempt at redress this, focusing on fostering trust between police and communities, pledging $2bn (£1.65bn) to stop the "school-to-prison pipeline" and promising to end the "era of mass incarceration" by cutting mandatory minimum sentences for non-violent drug offences in half.
Mental health: Clinton's plan aims to make it easier for people with mental health issues to live, work and access specialist treatment in their own communities. Her manifesto also pledges to invest in alternatives to jail for mentally-ill or addicted people where appropriate.
Domestic terrorism: The Democrat has a three-pronged strategy for keeping the US safe from terror attacks: targeting Islamic State strongholds in the Middle East; cooperating with allies to dismantle terror networks in Europe, and enacting more powers to ban the purchase of "military-style assault weapons" in the United States.
Student loans: By 2021, students from families with an income below $125,000 (£103,000) will pay no tuition at all at public colleges in their home state, Clinton promises. She will cap debt repayments at ten per cent of income and allow refinancing to take advantage of lower interest rates, with any debt remaining after 20 years written off.
LGBT rights: Clinton has vowed to fight for "full federal equality" for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender Americans and to promote the human rights of LGBT people around the world. She wants to make it easier to have gender changed on official identification documents and to end discriminatory treatment when it comes to adoptions. Clinton also has a detailed plan to fight for an "Aids-free generation", investing in research to end Aids and HIV and lowering the cost of prescription drugs.
Gun violence: The 2016 presidential race has at times been overshadowed by mass shootings in the US, including the deadliest massacre at a gay nightclub in Orlando. Clinton has promised to "take on the gun lobby" and remove the industry's "sweeping" legal protection for irresponsible actions and revoking licences from dealers who break the law. She also wants to expand background checks for people buying guns and "keep guns out of the hands of domestic abusers, other violent criminals and the severely mentally ill".
Wall Street reform: Risk reduction is at the heart of Clinton's plans for Wall Street, which focus on avoiding a repeat of the 2008 financial crisis. Her platform to shore up the vulnerabilities in the system include a "risk tax" on the biggest banks and an end to loopholes allowing banks to skirt regulations and invest taxpayer money in risky hedge funds.
Clinton would also extend the statute of limitations on major financial fraud to enable more robust punishment of those who break the rules and give the Department of Justice more resources to prosecute transgressors.
Income inequality: A $50bn (£40.3bn) package would tackle entrenched poverty by investing in youth employment programmes, providing support for ex-convicts reintegrating into the workforce and nurturing the development of small businesses in under-privileged communities.
This is part of a wider strategy based on Congressman Jim Clyburn's 10-20-30 plan - ten per cent of federal resources would be committed to communities where at least 20 per cent of the population has been living below the poverty line for 30 years or more.
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