This week has seen intensifying fire from the Obama camp directed at the character of Hillary Rodham Clinton. I’m reluctant to second-guess a bunch of folks who have run an astoundingly competent, creative, and disciplined campaign, but this strikes me as a mistake, and I’ve decided to resume the interrupted cease-fire I imposed on myself between Wisconsin and March 4.
There are more than enough good things to say about Obama and more than enough bad things to say about McCain to keep us all busy. The more the Clintonites and their affiliated websites and surrogates — HillaryIs44, Taylor Marsh, Paul Krugman, Joe Wilson — sound like Republicans, attacking Obama’s character even at the expense of saying nice things about McCain, the more the Obama team should sound like Democrats, ignoring their now-defeated intra-party rival and looking forward to November.
If Hillary Clinton has character flaws or skeletons in her closet, now would be a good time to pass them over in dignified silence, remembering that Senator Obama will want her support, and that of her husband, between now and November and that President Obama will want her help as a Senator and perhaps as Senate Majority Leader. The right response when Carville compares Bill Richardson to Judas is a horse-laugh.