Karl Rove: "She tends to be, well, hard and brittle. I inherited her West Wing office."

[Amerigo Vespucci]

How to Beat Hillary (Next) November

OPINION | Karl Rove

Republicans who think she'll be easy to defeat are wrong. What they should do.

Nov 26, 2007 Issue



http://www.newsweek.com/id/71000

I've seen up close the two Clintons America knows. He's a big smile, hand locked on your arm and lots of charms. "Hey, come down and speak at my library. I'd like to talk some politics with you."

And her? She tends to be, well, hard and brittle. I inherited her West Wing office. Shortly after the 2001 Inauguration, I made a little talk saying I appreciated having the office because it had the only full-length vanity mirror in the West Wing, which gave me a chance to improve my rumpled appearance. The senator from New York confronted me shortly after and pointedly said she hadn't put the mirror there. I hadn't said she did, just that the mirror was there. So a few weeks later, in another talk, I repeated the story about the mirror. And shortly thereafter, the junior senator saw me and, again, without a hint of humor or light in her voice, icily said she'd heard I'd repeated the story of the mirror and she … did … not … put … that mirror in the office.

It is a small but telling story: she is tough, persistent and forgets nothing. Those are some of the reasons she is so formidable as a contender, and why Republicans who think she would be easy to beat are wrong. The Republican presidential nomination is the most fluid and unpredictable contest in decades, but the Democratic nominee is likely to be Hillary. Not without a fight, not without losing early contests (probably Iowa, for starters) and not without bruises and bumps.

And so the question to John McCain from a woman at a town hall in South Carolina last Monday was tasteless, but key: "How do we beat the (rhymes with witch)?" Right now, Republicans are focusing much of their fire on Senator Clinton. Criticizing her unites the party, stirs up the unsettled feelings many swing voters have toward her and allows each candidate to say why he is best able to beat her. For now, that's enough. But when a GOP nominee emerges, he needs to remember no Republican is as well known as Hillary. The Republican has room to grow in the polls as voters get a better sense of who he is and what animates him. Here's what he needs to do.

[journalist3072]

1. He says calling Hillary a "b*tch" was "tasteless but key." WTF??

[calteacherguy]

2. It's Rove. What do you expect? nt

[Lerkfish]

3. Don't forget Rove is famous for false flag political maneuvers

keep that in mind whatever he says, the opposite is true.

If he says republicans should fear HRC in the election, he is really meaning the opposite.

"oh, don't throw me in that briar patch!"

[sufrommich]

9. No matter what,you will find a way to

mark her as Rove's plaything. Whether he talks her up or down,your comment will be"see,that proves it!"

[Lerkfish]

11. no, I think Rove is doing this for Rove.

I don't think HRC has any part of it.
I think Rove is priming the media pump to get what he desires, an election with Clinton as a frontrunner.

but nice use of ritual shaming.

[sufrommich]

13. The same theory applies.nt

[Lerkfish]

16. what theory is that?

[sufrommich]

18. No matter what Rove would say about Clinton..

you would claim that it's proof that he wants her to run.I imagine if he said she will be easy to beat than that too will be "proof" that he wants her to run.He says"she will be tough to beat" obviously,he's using reverse psychology.What could Rove say that would convince you that the reps aren't foaming at the mouth for a chance to run against her?

[Lerkfish]

28. um. no.

as much as you'd like to put words in my mouth, no. He's only been touting her as a tough and preferred candidate, so your theory is hard to prove, even though you want to slander me with hypotheticals.

on the other hand, your last line is correct: nothing anyone could say would convince me that reps aren't foaming at the mouth for a chance to run against her. In fact, I think they clearly are. They know they hate her with the intensity of a thousand suns, for some reason, and they know that will drive out their base to the polls.

[Cha]

21. Didn't rove spread the...

"all the w(ankers) were missing on the typewriters in the chimp house?

Sounds like a rove made up the "mirror" story just cause he wouldn't be caught dead telling any true facts.

[bbinacan]

4. Why the hell does HRC get

so worked up about a mirror?

[Catch22Dem]

5. Because the story is bullshit and makes her sound vain

And he knew exactly how the story would play which is why he repeated it.

[sufrommich]

6. And why some here will buy it..

hook,line and sinker. The cold,vain,emotionally absent bitch. Watch as some of our fellow Dems wallow in it.

[Lucinda]

10. Yup.

[MethuenProgressive]

7. This hit job piece will be echoed by the campaigns of Edwards and Obama soon.

In the next few minutes, if the trend holds.

[ClarkUSA]

17. Well, Hillaryworld would know all about hit jobs.

Since we've already seen one of theirs implode today.

[sufrommich]

19. We did? Where? nt

[ClarkUSA]

24. The blind cannot see.

Example above.

[Forkboy]

25. No one can see what you see because you've yet to offer anything other than conjecture.

[ClarkUSA]

33. I've seen you silent with those who offer far less.

So spare me the microscope.

[Name removed]

39. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[sufrommich]

26. Right, so answer the question,

which "Hillary hit job" did we see implode today?

[ClarkUSA]

36. Disingenuous questions when you know the answer suit you somehow.

However, I have better things to do than tutor you. Read the GDP threads if you're
so curious. Don't be intellectually lazy.

[sufrommich]

37. You're right ,I do know the answer and it's

so totally different from the unsubstantiated shit you keep trying to lob around here,that it's amusing to watch. Obama campaign accuses Clinton campaign of Novak slur,Clinton campaign issues a statement denying involvement,Obama campaign issues statement acknowledging Clinton's non involvement.End of story,maybe you missed some parts.

[Name removed]

38. Deleted sub-thread

Sub-thread removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[DemocratSinceBirth]

30. Any Other Totally Useless And Inappropriate Cliches

You should quit while you're behind...

[ClarkUSA]

34. You need to go back into the womb, DemocratSinceBirth

You're going off half-baked again.

[DemocratSinceBirth]

35. Can I Go Back Into Your Womb?

DSB

[emilyg]

32. Yep.

[pansypoo53219]

8. and KKKarl is squishy and pallid

like a rancid maggot.

good job newsweek.

[rwheeler31]

12. She does not like lies.

[DemocratSinceBirth]

14. Who Knows If Rove Is Being Disingenuous Or Not

But he's right about HRC... She is beyond tough...She makes Genghis Kahn look a weakling...Her opponents are learning that...The slap she gave to Johnny Boy was just an appetizer...

To quote Yamamoto, Johnny Boy and Barack Obama have "awakened a sleeping giant and filled it with terrible resolve."

[papau]

15. Rove's brain is frozen if these 5 suggestions are the best he can come up with for the GOP

1. Make up a storyline - Create a narrative about your life and commitments- that the media buys that sells you as the person that will "give(s) the American people hope, optimism and insight". T

2. Avoid being seen as a fake and claim the other person is a fake - but use words like "authentic" and say the other person uses polling and flip flops. Use words like My "core convictions" so the media will sell the idea that the Dem has no core and can't be trusted. Say something the media will see as controversial and proving you have core convictions - sell having core convictions is a "natural contrast" with Hillary.

3. Pretend you are strong on issues you are weak on - like health care, the cost of college and social mobility/class warfare of the rich on the middle class -the media will go into a he said/she said mode and the truth of your weaknesses in Jobs, the economy, taxes and spending will be minimized so that we can make the election about smearing the Dem while we claim they are smearing us.

4. Pretend you want the vote of minorities using words like "American Dream"

5. Claim Democrats want to accept a loss in Iraq when we are winning- that you are the choice that will lead folks to "victory" - use same idea for "War of Terror" and the surrender of civil liberties.

[Evergreen Emerald]

20. why is anything that piece of crap has to say on DU?

[sufrommich]

22. It's Right Wing Echo day here at DU!!! nt

[cali]

23. god, he's a repulsive little slug

i'm sure the story about Clinton was apcryphal, but he's right about one thing; if she is the nominee, she won't be easy to beat. Only a political idiot could believe that.

[Forkboy]

27. The day I listen to this smeghead is the day I blow my brains out.

[illinoisprogressive]

29. Rove is a nasty sleaze, but, his assessment is no different from what others D &Rs have said

Everyone on both sides say the same thing. bill is all bear hugs and let's have a coffee and bs for hours kind of guy.
She is brittle and mean.
It is the same opinion all around.
nothing new said here.

[cali]

31. plenty of Dems say something different, and btw

ever hear the word "brittle" used to describe a male candidate? No? Guess what? It's sexist.

[ruggerson]

40. I was telling a story about Karl Rove and I mentioned he was fat, bald and pompous

I ran into him a few weeks later and he protested, without a trace of humor or charm, that it wasn't nice of me to call him fat, bald and pompous.

So I don't say that anymore. Now I say he's fat, bald, pompous and obsessed with his self image.

[Bitwit1234]

41. Well the democrats better occupy the Oval Office for the next fifty years

it's gonna take that long to get the smell of turd out of it.

[madfloridian]

42. DUers can't resist it. Every thing Rove writes will be posted here.

http://journals.democraticunderground.com/madfloridian/...

[acmavm]

43. Well I see KKKarl hasn't lost his touch in being able to ignite an explosion

amongst democrats whenever he goes public with one of his snide, sneering, snotty little diatribes that while they may have a 'message' that Hils will be hard to beat, it also has a snide demeaning story to drag her down and show her to be a harpy and a shrew at the same time.

Yes people, KKKarl is back. Back and intentionally placing himself to be of influence in this next election. He left the White House so that he could pull out the plugs and fall back on his old game plan of lies and dirty tricks and not have any of the backsplash hit his buddy the Chimp.

Ignore his ass. Make him irrelevant in this friggin' election. He's fucked this country up enough.

[Perry Logan]

44. Rove tends to be soft and flaccid.

This is all based on hearsay, you understand.

[a kennedy]

45. Rove??? no power as far as I can tell......

he's like the Newt.... a has been.

[KoKo]

46. Karl Rove dreams of Hillary as the nominee...It's his fantasy of all fantasies...

He can't wait for the "Game" to begin when he can pull out everything he knows....and he knows alot about demonizing...because he came up from where it flourishes....

[Vickers]

47. KKKarl is soft and squishy, like a steaming pile of horse shit.

I still can't believe that people think this hatemonger is some kind of genius.

Do people realize how easy it is to get the lowest common denominator all riled up?