Ok, I went back and double-checked. I did not “besmirch his character.” Just stated plain facts. If you doubt it, listen to his fourteen-minute Gettysburg...speech.
He dropped out to preserve his own political future. Understandable, but he is part of the larger problem of politicians who do what is best for themselves, and not the good of the country.
That is a smear, plain and simple. First, assume his motive and then condemn him for it.