Please, Conservatives love dragging people through the mud just as much as Liberals do. Or have we forgotten things like the Birther movement or all the garbage that people like Alex Jones and Rush Limbaugh spew?

This is just regular, dirty politics. Negative campaigning is extremely effective and it's easier to tear down your opponent than it is to build up your own candidate. Especially in our system where it's winner-take-all, there is little incentive to actually try and work with anyone who isn't in your party.