I've been inspired by a quite wonderful piece about Jujitsu in Action: The Smart Way to Fight Smears Against Obama written by Joe Brewer on Open Left

It's all about the psychology of smears, and how to effectively counteract their ultimate purpose and moral intent. Some money quotes for you

What is the purpose of a smear?  Every smear has a proximate goal and an ultimate goal.  The proximate goal is to instill some false or misleading idea in the minds of listeners.  This serves the ultimate goal of subverting the moral character of the person being attacked.  

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This observation about the nature of smears leads to a piece of strategic advice: respond to the ultimate goal directly.  To focus on the proximate goal is to fall into a trap of reinforcing the original association that the smear-mongerer is pushing.  

A second observation can be made about the focus of a smear.  Karl Rove is famous for asserting that opponents should be attacked where they are strongest.  A key part of his approach that doesn't receive enough attention is the fact that the focus is always directed toward a perceived moral strength.  So when Obama's integrity is challenged by a smear, we can safely conclude that his integrity is widely seen as an advantage that his opponents must overcome.  

Another piece of strategic advice: respond with a focus on the moral weakness of the attacker, rather than the intended target of the original attack. To focus on the details of Obama's birthplace, for example, creates a sense of legitimacy to the controversy.  All the while, the attacker remains hidden in the wings and suffers no rebuke.

So come on my Ninja MYDD ninja. Let's get going against the character assassins