How much credibility does Karl Rove have now as a political strategist?
I know that shortly before he died, the late Lee Atwater was extremely remorseful about the political tactics he employed.
Karl Rove became his heir apparent and continued the tradition of wedge issue politics and smear tactics.
In light of today’s changing political landscape, aren’t Karl Rove’s political strategies and tactics virtually obsolete or almost devoid of their former effectiveness?
By "changing political landscape", I mean the reality that the Republican Party is shrinking as a percentage of the electorate. The Republican Party now constitutes only 27% of the electorate. By 2012, this will be an even smaller figure.
By "political landscape" I mean exactly what Karl Rove refers to when he analyzes the county by county breakdown of registered voters and their political party affiliation.
This is the "political landscape" that is changing at a very fast rate!
12 Responses
Tristan S
15 Mar 2010
FlcHatrs
15 Mar 2010
Rove is a criminal. Don’t give him any more stature.
Bush was lying with a den of thieves and didn’t really know what was happening.
Try not to answer your own questions. Use the phrase, do you agree, instead.
Monitor the death threats and report them with the name of the Avatar.
gdsb
15 Mar 2010
Poor Karl is going to have to try and invent himself as the Pillsbury Dough Boy.
Joshua H
15 Mar 2010
Alas, I don’t think so. After all, McCain got an instant boost in the polls when he hired some Rove people and went negative.
The problem is, many people are credulous. Just look at the McCain supporters here — they’ll believe any claim, no matter how silly. Claim Obama is a socialist, they’ll believe you. Claim he’s a Muslim, they’ll believe you.
Dawn
15 Mar 2010
Well I can only hope that this election taught him something. You can win without dragging everyone through the mud. McCain’s campaign was one of the sleaziest I can remember. I’m so glad that Americans didn’t respond to it this time.
TRM
15 Mar 2010
Vague terms like "changing political landscape" don’t provide any context for your question. If you mean the sheer fact that Obama won, then I don’t see your point, because Rove had nothing to do with the McCain campaign. He has been out of politics since 2005. So you’re not really making any sense.
And Joshua, I’m sorry, but your not coming across as being much more intelligent. Here, you rail against "McCain supporters," whom you classify as bigoted, yet in another question, you openly admit to attacking Sarah Palin. Try doing some research and come back with a better knowledge base, and then answer some questions. Thank you.
Malcolm Equis
15 Mar 2010
Keep believing that the political landscape is changing…
But the truth is that it is the same as ever, Obama was simply more subtle in his attacks than McCain. Obama gave as good as he got, and then some.
Obama is more like Karl Rove than I would like. I supported Obama, and continue to do so; but I also know that Obama knows how to play this game, just like Rove does.
Marvin the Marti
15 Mar 2010
Those whose candidates lost two elections to Rove simply can’t find the honesty to give the man his due. He is good at what he does. It might be wise to give the man his due, he could very well be instrumental in bringing more people to power. As for Lee Atwater, his conscience is his business. It’s normal for people to look back on life and regret what we’ve done.
Potomac Two-Step
15 Mar 2010
No, I think you fail to understand that people voted with their pocketbook, and unfortuantely for them, they thought Obama would be a better choice.
fastheidegger
15 Mar 2010
Ever since Karl Rove left, the Republican party has lost Congress and the White House. Coincidence?
salukikaren
15 Mar 2010
None. I have always thought he was behind Palin’s inciting the crowd into screaming about "killing the terrorist". That kind of garbage lost them the election. I hope Mr. Rove fades away, we don’t need that kind of schoolboy tactics.
Union Fireman fo
15 Mar 2010
No. He brought McCain to within a few percentage points of Obama in an election that Obama should’ve walked away with considering the mood about the current president.
Wedge issue politics and smear tactics? Obama did as much of that as the republicans did. Obama used fear (McCain is going to take away your social security and medicare), lies (the ads showing McCain and quoting a Limbaugh parody about immigration) and divisive class envy in his ads.
There is dirt on everyone’s hands, Obama included.
Karl Rove is a bad, bad man, but as far as credibility for being a political strategist… well, he was an integral part of the Bush Doctrine. He weaseled his way into the GOP starting in the 80′s and even if he’s of low moral character, he sure did make an impact.
So, as far as credibility for knowing the ins and outs of the GOP? Oh, yeah, he’s solid gold. He epitomizes the GOP in the first part of the 21st century.
As far as credibility as a decent human being? Not so much.