This actually operates at several levels.... one is the obvious- the worst slander some of these people can come up with is accusing another of being "right-wing" or "religious." They use 'racist' and 'homophobic' that way, too.... it's believed ( by them, anyway ) to be such a "nuke" that further opposition, debate, or argument is impossible.
On another level, what they are really defending is not clinton, but their support of him- they can't admit they got suckered like the soccer moms did...
And I note that "diminutive motorcade" with some satisfaction.
It's kind of like watching the group that went off to Elba with Napoleon, isn't it?