Swiftboat ahoy! Deflecting the inevitable right-wing smear.

[swag]

economist's View asks straight out:

I have a question. What's the best way to stand up to the inevitable swift boat tactics that are sure to come from the other side? As Brad DeLong says:

...our long national nightmare is not over. Remember John McCain's line about Chelsea Clinton--that she "is so ugly because her father is Janet Reno." Didn't do McCain any harm in the Republican Party. Didn't do McCain any harm with America's establishment press corps. It was bad enough watching the Freak Show in the press and the Republican Party go after the sleazy hick from Arkansas with the zipper problem and his cold castrating l------ b---- of a wife. Are we now ready for the to go after the Muslim terrorist n----- from Chicago?

When I was a kid, I can remember my father teaching me about what constituted a fair fight, and what was against the rules. One rule was you didn't hit first, but if a fight had to happen, so long as the other person followed the same code of honor, things were considered fair. But if they didn't, if they were willing to hit below the belt or adopt other "unfair" tactics, then following the rules was a prescription to get your head handed to you. You had a right to defend yourself when the other side didn't play be the rules.

The conflict between the "it's not whether you win or lose, it's how you play the game" crowd and the other view, the "all is fair in love and war", "winning is the only thing", "just win baby" attitude carries over into the political arena. The latter view places few restrictions on how to fight. The idea is to win, nothing else matters.

I'm never sure what is best. When the inevitable below the belt political tactics come, and they will, one way to respond is to adopt the high road. Hold your head above it all, continue to play by the rules, and hope that carries the day as people recognize your superior character. If it doesn't work, then at least you've retained your honor. You didn't stoop to the tactics of the opposition.

[K Gardner]

1. I've thought about this. First, I'm not at all concerned about

Edwards. He's one of the best trial lawyers in the country. He's pounded corporations into submission with his verbocity and elocution. He won't be beat at that game. Secondly, Barack: My first impression of him as one who could really hold his own was an impromptu question that flew at him about his kindergarten essay. He looked back, slightly askance as he reached for something, and said, "Yes, I hear she asked about my kindergarten essays in "Indo..NEE..zha". Now, it wasn't what he said, but it was the way he pronounced Indonesia that just killed it. And his impromptu but classy comebacks in the debates. We have two elegant fighters here. They won't be taken down easily, by a swiftboater or a republican. JMHO :-)

[AndyTiedye]

2. The Repiglickin's Swift Boating Works So Well Because the Mighty Slime Machine Repeats it for Free

When a Democratic 527 runs an ad, it runs and disappears.

When the Swift Boat Liars or other Repiglickin' 527s run one, the Mighty Slime Machine decides that it is NEWS and plays it over and over for free.
Their lies become THE topic of discussion on every talk show.