He Says, She Says

Courtesy Ross Douthat, Noah Millman offers a fictional debate between the candidates characterizing their respective "moral claims" to the convention for those who haven't been playing extremely close attention to the contest between Clinton and Obama. Those who have, however, may find the let-the-best-candidate-win spirit ultimately lacking in verisimilitude. Clinton threatened to sue the Texas Democratic Party when it seemed that Obama would overtake her. The Clinton campaign even went so far as to float a trial balloon about appealing to pledged delegates.

Millman's exercise is more useful in explaining the cases put forward by the candidates' respective supporters. The candidates themselves have not made their cases so straightforwardly—actually, one of the candidates has not. Which is fine; in fact, one almost hears chagrin in Obama's voice when he says that he won't go negative, and while it isn't negative campaigning per se to call for Clinton to release her tax records it is certainly harder ball than he's played so far.

With luck the rest of the primary won't see the candidates straying much further from Millman playing-nice into accusations (and soundbytes) that will prove to haunt the candidate in the general. But that's just wishful thinking—of course Clinton will go harder and nastier, party be damned.