Danny Westneat's coverage of the Democratic convention includes discussion of how "nervous" Democrats fear Barack Obama isn't being tough enough.

Interesting question.

Is he not tough enough or is his campaign being goaded into foolish responses by the specter of Democratic wussiness gone by (see Kerry, John and Dukakis, Michael).

Consider:

1) When John McCain had his now infamous "housing" gaffe, the Obama campaign immediately turned it into a TV ad. Had they simply kept it a game of warring press secretaries augmented by haymaker throwing surrogates they would have scored their points just as well. By taking it to paid media right away they legitimized Tony Rezko as fair game in ads from McCain and the RNC.

For the rest of the campaign, Obama can expect to be asked to explain how a convicted felon and influence peddler helped him buy his home. Yes, Democrats get to play the class warfare card that gets their base excited - even though it has yet to be proven a winning electoral strategy nationally. But Tony Rezko is one of the last things Barack "I have trouble connecting with working class Americans" Obama needs to have added to his still emerging narrative with general election voters.

Speaking of which...

2) When an independent group began airing an ad hitting Obama on Bill Ayres, the Obama campaign responded with its own TV spot in defense, with direct discussion on Ayres himself, all while trying to link the attack back to McCain.

Maybe this mitigates the original Ayres ad impact in Ohio and Michigan, maybe it doesn't. Either way, it extends and amplifies a discussion of Ayres and his association with Obama. Since most Americans don't know - let alone associate with - unrepentant domestic terrorists, it's hard to see where any discussion of this issue by the Obama campaign helps him connect with Americans still hesitant to embrace the Messiah the Democratic nominee.

Somewhere James Carville - he of the bulldog approach to politics (think: "it's the economy, stupid!" - is shaking his head. When two issues that do nothing to help Obama came up, they responded by playing defense rather than offense, out of fear of leaving the issue on the table without remark.

Thus, the legacy of the Swift Boat Veterans plays out in this campaign cycle.