Imagine if Gore or Kerry doctored a picture of soldiers.  The media would be merciless.  They'd portray this as a symbol of the phoniness and desperation of the Gore/Kerry campaign.  And some people would be affected by it, especially if it fit into an existing "storyline" (which this does, if we spin it right).

Would we prefer to win votes in a different manner?  Sure.  But since the media loves meaningless stories that seem to highlight a negative character trait, why not try to get them to hurt the other side for a change?