Voter to Obama: Play Nice

» WaPo: Obama Gets Warning From Voter: Don't Fight With Democratic Rivals (Philip Elliott)

This certainly seems timely ...

HANOVER, N.H. (AP) -- Presidential hopeful Barack Obama was warned by a friendly voter Monday to avoid public spats with his Democratic rivals -- but remarks he made later could add fuel to the criticism against him.

Maggie North of Claremont told Obama he risks becoming part of the usual political scene if he keeps being drawn into well-publicized disputes with rivals. He and chief rival Hillary Rodham Clinton have jabbed at each other over foreign policy, the war on terrorism and the use of nuclear weapons.

"You can be it," North said at a small gathering at a Hanover restaurant Monday morning that drew eight people. "But you've got to stop -- excuse me for being blunt -- you've got to stop getting involved in the way people are fighting each other, chewing you up a little more."

"That's what you do when you run for president," Obama responded, getting a laugh.

It'd certainly be a refreshing change to see Democrats adapt the old GOP standby of an 11th commandment during the primaries. Not that any side of the party has clean hands from previous work, but with all of the leading nominees so relatively close to one another in terms of worldview (obviously that excludes Gravel & the Elf) it doesn't make too much sense to begin some outdated, counterproductive arguing over split hairs.

That said, if it can't be done, I don't think I'd want to go up against anyone named Clinton. My money's on Bubba & the chick.