We will know on Election Day whether Kerry's "rope-a-dope" strategy of allowing the allegations of the "Swift Boat Vets" to simmer on right wing talk radio, blogs, and the Moonie/Murdoch Axis before answering the charges, as he did yesterday, was successful. My hunch was that he only responded after seeing evidence in the polls that the rumors were starting to hurt him with swing voters, and a forceful denunciation of the charges was going to be necessary, or else he would be perceived as being weak. What we can say is that none of their allegations concerning his battle wounds or acts of heroism has stood careful scrutiny, and that the position of the Bush campaign in not taking a stand on these ads is becoming increasingly untenable.