There have been many calls on this TPM site and other sites, for Obama to "fight back" regarding Republican smears and accusations. And sometimes it seems the Obama camp is choosing a different course that supporters are screaming for.

I tend to have faith that the Obama team is trying to do this campaign in the smartest way possible. Could it be that the typical "fighting back" would just play into the Republican game. When you make vague accusations that the other side looks down on you, and then the other side finds fault with you, you can use that as vindication of your whole "game".

I think this is a very good article by Krugman. When the cynical powers of the GOP are playing this game, "fighting back" may not always be right.

One of my favorite sayings is "Never argue with an idiot. First he will drag you down to his level. Then he beats you with experience." I do believe that Kerry did some "fighting back" on the Swift Boat thing, he just did not do it as well as the Cynical Smearmasters, and he fell into their trap.