Winning the election is what politics is all about, and men (and lately women) successful in it understand the rough wisdom of Leo Durocher, who observed that “nice guys finish last.” The friendship that Adams and Jefferson nurtured survived. They became friends again after the brawl, just like George H.W. Bush and Bill Clinton two centuries later. It’s not a good way to preserve a friendship, but politicians, and particularly presidents, rarely hold grudges. They usually understand that “bashing,” as Mr. Bush called it, is not nice, but it’s inevitable. The stakes are too high for it to be otherwise. Civility in politics is a good idea, but bashing works. Sad.
https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2018/dec/6/civil-is-nice-but-winning-elections-is-better/