I propose a moratorium on criticism of Hillary Rodham Clinton and her campaign by supporters of Barack Obama. From now on, the focus should be on John McCain, who, after all, offers a target-rich environment:
... don't know much about economics ... 100 years in Iraq ... mean, filthy jokes about little girls ... bomb, bomb, bomb Iran ... Keating S&L ... "there will be more wars" ... foul temper ... flip-flops ... dumping his first wife when she was in a wheelchair for someone able-bodied, prettier, and richer ... zero legislative accomplishment other than McCain-Feingold, which his campaign is evading ...
The difference between fighting hard and piling on is knowing when to stop: now, for example. The claim that all critics of HRC were deranged misogynists was vastly overblown, and the claim that the venom in the campaign was disproportionately from the Obama camp seems to me clearly false, but some of the pro-Obama commenters on various blogs have gone way over the top. (No doubt many of them were Republican trolls flying false flags, as was no doubt true of many apparently pro-Clinton ranters.) But enough is enough: saying mean things about Hillary is soooooo last week!
No doubt the barrage of false charges against Obama will continue, especially from the anti-Obama 527 now being hastily organized. Those charges will need answering. But that can be done without counter-attacking.
Attacking HRC was a necessity while the campaign for the nomination hung in the balance. But that was then. The remaining mopping-up in Ohio and Texas can and should be done in a relentlessly positive mood. The candidate, the campaign, and the fans should all be actively looking for opportunities to praise HRC. We need her fans' enthusiastic support in November, and her nuts-and-bolts programmatic knowledge will be an invaluable asset as Senate Majority Leader.