Political Campaigning

When is political campaigning considered fair or dirty?
Hilary Clinton can be accused of being a "dirty campaigner", while Barack Obama is considered to have ran a clean campaign, but yet the posters he handed out displaying the darker sides of his opponent Hiliary's campaign is in some aspects a dirty tactic. So what makes Barack right and Hiliary wrong? It could be that HIliary is more open with her mud slinging and political games. It could also be that what Obama printed was the truth, but just the kind of truth that a politician wouldn't want you to see. Or maybe the political analysist see something in Hilary that the fear, maybe the same tendencies of our beloved President George W. Bush, and they are covertly fight to prevent a repeat of what happened over the past eight years. So as we watch is whole hearted anticipation of the prestidential race unfolding before us, one must wonder what TRULY makes the decisions of what is right and what is wrong? The eyes of the people, they see what they want and makes judgements based on what they see fit rather than what is right and fair. So you tell me, is this what you would call democratic.