In any case there was one comment:"She also had many Republican friends, who while differed on issues, would try to understand them as people."
In other words, to that person who knew Ashley -- Republicans aren't people. We're something else. They can only TRY to understand us as fellow people. The statement is an implicit admission of failure to do so, of failure, of an inability to treat Republicans as people.
The best this person could say about about Ashley is that she tried, but failed, to see us as people. If she had succeeded in seeing us as people, then it wouldn't be "she tried", it would be "she did see us as people".
And that's the best he could say about her?
Sad.