This is one of the major differences I see in the right and the left. And you can argue this till the cows come home and I will not engage it because this is my opinion, based on my personal experience. In any case I have noticed that most lefties understand, acknowlege and admit that politics are by nature a game of dirty pool. We know that none of the players have entirely clean slates and we accept that reality and seek for a man who best holds our ideals with the least amount of dirty tactics employed. Where I see the right, ignoring entirely any dirty tactics, negative campaigns, and denying any hint of wrongdoing, because in the end they are so convinced of the importance of their ends that they can justify any means of getting to their objectives. The left, acknowleges that sometimes politics are messy business, where the right seems to think nothing is illegal if they don't get caught doing it.