Karl Rove Was Over-Rated

[SoDesuKa]

The press hailed Karl Rove as some kind of "wizard" for his ability to get Republican candidates elected. We are now seeing the downside of Karl Rove's two-pronged approach, which was:

• Formulate a winning message; and
• Demand total message control

Republicans are now finding that in trouble times, it's a lot harder to come up with a winning message, and they are also learning that total message control is inflexible. What is the right thing to do when you're faced with a range of unappealing choices? The Republican response to the Obama presidency has been total resistance. When in doubt, mumble about how much better a job the Republicans could do. Unfortunately for the Republicans, Obama found a way to defeat them by very publicly inviting their input into important political developments. Eventually the Republicans were on the spot to introduce a plan of their own.

Message control has turned into a big loser for the Republicans. They're forcing even Newt Gingrich to pretend he likes the Ryan budget, but the Ryan budget is political poison. Making everybody drink it only weakens the party as a whole. Republican lawmakers are going down to defeat in areas with a lot of senior citizens unless they become defectors. As things stand, they're being asked to embrace a losing issue simply to please party elders. Playing up the Ryand budget (and Republican votes in its favor) is a clear winner for Democrats.

Karl Rove was no wizard, that's for sure. He developed a way to use low information voters as a swing bloc in contested districts, but it was time-limited in its effectiveness. It also undermines Republicans' vaunted party unity.

[murielm99]

1. I think he lost most of his effectiveness when his name

became a household word. He became the focus of blame and loathing when that happened. It is better for real power brokers to work from a position of anonymity.

[Frustratedlady]

2. Poppa B knew that, didn't he? Tried to keep Geo from hiring him, if I recall.

Rove could look like a wizard as long as he could manipulate the voting machines.

[Sal Minella]

3. Poppy B fired Rove for some unethical trick he pulled, and I've

always believed that Rove groomed aWol and slipped him into the White House just to spite Poppy -- who hoped to see Beloved Potato-Head Son Jebbie become President.

[Frustratedlady]

4. I could see that happening. Poppa may get his chance w/Jeb. God help us all.

I should think Ma and Pa B would hide behind the woodshed out of embarrassment over the failures their sons have been rather than play Russian roulette with another.

Digusting people.

[Sal Minella]

5. I think neither Poppy nor Bar is capable of embarrassment.

I think they've taught their offspring that the world is a cold hard place for the talented and wealthy (such as themselves), what with other people being so jealous and nasty and all, and they taught the young'uns to take what they want by any means they can get it, and that situational ethics permit lying in certain circumstances (i.e. any circumstance favorable to anyone named "Bush.")

A beautiful mind that doesn't concern itself with body bags certainly doesn't concern itself about the lower classes who lie dead in them.

Jeb is being held in reserve for 2016, I'm sure, and W has been instructed to pretty much keep his yap shut so the Illustrious Name of Bush can be rehabilitated for the 2016 Presidential Election.

Meanwhile, the Rethugs know there isn't a snowball's chance of defeating Obama, so we have the Republican 2012 Nominee Klown Kar (Pawlenty, Bachmann, Mittens, etc.).

[UTUSN]

6. His *MAIN* approach: dirty tricks. n/t