I think this is about right "A political party can only be as good as its voters let it be."

The engine of the modern Republican party is its desire to hurt its enemies. Politicians by and large act like politicians and have for centuries. But it's rare to see so many politicians indulging, encouraging and celebrating bad behavior because the most enthusiastic Republican voters love having a license to be self-consciously malicious.

I think I would be satisfied with, "I am going to behave like a politician within normal parameters, but I am not going to actively encourage evil. That's where I draw the line."