You nailed it. They think if we just "play nice" that people will clearly abandon the evil Democrats for the "good, honest" Republicans.
Politics is a nasty business, and that is never going to change.
Democrats are nasty. Pubs always stand there and get smacked around. WHY were Clinton and Bush 41 within ten miles of each other let alone galivanting around the globe. And Bush 43 with Kennedy? The whole political right is becoming oppressively predictable. Except Ann. She can go a little over the top, still I like her. V's wife.