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Karl Rove could have called it a day after successfully re-electing George W. Bush in 2004. It could have been the capstone on one of the most successful and substantive careers in modern American politics. Rove would have left a master strategist feared by his enemies, admired by his friends, and mythologized by observers of all persuasions.
Instead Rove hung around too long and embarrassed himself.
After raising hundreds of millions of dollars from Republican donors on the promise that Mitt Romney would be president Rove had a public meltdown on election night refusing to concede the state of Ohio to President Obama. It was not confidence inspiring as a legacy of political mastery was superseded by video footage of severe desperation and incompetence.
And now, still not getting the message that it’s time to exit the stage, Rove is causing a civil war within the Republican Party.
Karl Rove has spent a week explaining himself – to Republicans.
Since he announced plans Feb. 4 to spend money in Republican congressional primaries to promote “electable” candidates, Rove has been trying to put out a grass-roots blaze that has conservative activists crying “civil war” with establishment Republicans.
Rove in essence is reasserting himself as kingmaker in a party that has suffered considerable electoral defeats partly due to the Bush legacy. Through this new venture Rove hopes to be able to vet candidates for public office and, if they do not meet his satisfaction, disqualify them.
Not surprisingly, the Tea Party is furious.
Tea Party groups, talk-radio hosts and conservative activists, seeing the new group as an attempt to thwart the will of conservative primary voters, reacted furiously in the media, on conservative websites and, of course, on Twitter, where the backlash has its own hashtag: #CrushRove.
“Who died and made Karl Rove queen for a day?” barked radio talker Mark Levin.
If the unrest Rove is creating continues not only will conservatives revolt against Republican candidates but the party could split in two if Tea Partiers feel they have no voice. Rove could destroy the party he hoped to build into a permanent majority, quite a legacy for the former master.
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KKKarl Rove created the modern Rethuglicans by catering the lowest denominator of the base. He thought that he could control the messaging with authoritarian, social dominating candidate personalities. Unfortunately, not all Rethuglicans are authoritarians. Not all Rethuglicans are social dominators. Not all Rethuglicans can ignore their economic circumstances and support FAUX News. KKKarl has created an organized deamon and unleashed it on the American electorate.
It seems that the Marionette is strangling the master.
Go Karl!
Good old fashioned hubris.
The party is already in two. They had 2 responses in the SOTU. One corner, Rubio, trying to hide the nasty reality of GOP policies, while Paul is being completely honest about the nasty reality.
Be alright with me
Consequential, yes; substantive, no.
I think it was a year or two ago that Rove was featured on Jon Stewart disagreeing with, I think Michelle Malkin and/or Megyn Kelly and had Stewart grinning and commenting “Uh oh! It’s the class fat kid versus the pretty girls. Gee, I wonder how this fight’s gonna turn out!” Sure enough, Rove backed down shortly afterwards.
The Democrats have much more fundamental internal disagreements than the Republicans. Why aren’t they in danger of splitting apart? Why do the “progressives” continue to kowtow to the DLC elements? I do not pose these as rhetorical questions.
Diebold karl, die bold .
$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$
Couldn’t happen to a nicer party.
When will the liberal base quit kowtowing to their DLC betters and kick over the traces? The Tea Party is wrong on everything except their will to buck the establishment.
More and better Democrats?
That’s working so well…
. . . to the 10th power.
Karl, Karl, he’s our man, irf he can’t do it, nobody can.
Jump with me mary.
Rove is the fat kid every guy beat up after school. He’s trying to prove something, anything. He’s a despicable pissant. OTOH< he fits well in the republican party.
Fair question. Thge democrat have their own whole set of problems. Among those they are useless and clueless. OTOH, on the whole, they mean well. The dastardly, despicable black-hearted bastards that are todays’s republican party DO NOT. THey are willing to destroy the country to protect their own interests.
Hey, what goes around COMES around.
It seems to me that rove simply followed in the footsteps of lee Atwater and others that rang the bells of racism and class war.
I really have to disagree on whether the dims mean well. I don’t think that they do. Individuals sometimes mean well, even among repugs, but on the whole, neither part of the uniparty means well for anyone but the 1%.
I agree, but the Democrats always faced the internal tensions of a coalition party, since the last Great Depression. The GOP, not so much. Restoring sensible campaign laws would allow the progressive elements to control more policy. Until that happens, or a split takes place, the DLC has the purse strings well in hand. To, too bad for 90% of us.
Since the 1% rules thru the democratic party as well as the republican party this is all sound and fury that signifies nothing. We live in a country where the leadership of both parties are bought and paid for. with unverifiable elections you are told who won by someone from America’s pravda. and the beat goes on………..
If someone “means well” and fails, they assess the situation and try to do things differently next time. Maybe, as BearCountry said, there are individuals who mean well enough, but the Democrats and their supporters can see who benefits and who is hurt by their policies, yet the policies still don’t change and the support continues.
Anywhooey, that Karl Rove is the leader of anything besides the KKK is an indictment on this country’s sincerity in all matters, foreign or domestic. He should scare the hell out of citizens living East, West and North of Texas.
Karl Rove is one of the most odious creatures in all of politics. Between him and Dick Cheney, I’m not sure which is more repellant. Bastards like this always land on their feet, and no matter what, he’ll always have a seat at the Heritage Foundation.
couldn’t have happened to a nicer guy
Dance with the devil and you will get burned.
Courting the social conservatives and then the Tea Party was successful in the short term and doomed in the long term.
Social Conservatives have been a loyal constituancy for 30 years and expect a payback even as the majority of the country is moving forward while they stand still mired in an antiquated theology.
Tea Partiers have made far more noise than their actual numbers deserve. Deep pockets backing can achieve results in the short term but can not build or buy a sustainable majority. Sadly, the middle and old age white people that created the tea party live such isolated and insulated lives that they simply do not see how anemic their numbers really are.
Include IN TX….he was malicious when it came to Ann Richards….word has it.
When will the armchair judgements that mean nothing to anybody stop? Everything going on (read Baker, Yves, EW, Glenn, Matt S. and so many more) & pause long enough to wonder.
What? The Republican wing of the kabuki party split in two? You think Obummer will let that happen?! Not in a million years. The one and only thing you can depend on Bambi to do well is keeping alive a completely dysfunctional “opposition” party. If he has to go and lead them himself, maybe even offer them his presidency (in the interests of bi-partisanship you understand) then so be it! This is serious business for serious people!!!