Rove: Obama a “sore loser”
posted at 8:27 am on May 14, 2008 by Ed Morrissey
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After taking his beating last night, news agencies expected Barack Obama to at least make a short speech congratulating Hillary Clinton and emphasizing the need for unity. Apparently, he could not be bothered, leaving the evening to Hillary while Obama pretended that West Virginia didn’t exist as West Virginians returned the favor. Karl Rove found this surprising, and told Greta van Susteren that it made him look like a “sore loser”:
Rove makes a good point about Obama’s missed opportunity. What better time exists to attempt to bridge the gap between his campaign and West Virginia than in the aftermath of their vote? A national leader would have taken the stage and spoken, not just to West Virginians but to the entire country, about unity and vision instead of pouting in silence.
In fact, this really was a strange decision. Obama had an easy opportunity for “earned media”, which means essentially free national airtime. While it might be understandable that he wanted to downplay the importance of West Virginia, why not take the free airtime to talk about other upcoming states? Taken along with his decision to end the debates with Hillary, it almost seems as though Obama has grown tired of national attention — a rather strange quality for someone who wants to run for President.
Note, too, that Fox News went out of its way to find an Obama speech to fill the time, even while he himself didn’t think to provide a counter to his opponent. Fair and balanced? You decide.
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WHat could he possibly have said and maintained this facade that he is electable?
EJDolbow on May 14, 2008 at 8:35 AM
Obama is petulant. We’ve seen signs of it more than once. Hopefully we’ll get to see more of it in the future.
AZCoyote on May 14, 2008 at 8:37 AM
I am not saying the guy is not a wizard when it comes to politics, but there is just something about Karl Rove that creeps me out. I can’t look at the guy without feeling there is just something not right about him.
pilamaye on May 14, 2008 at 8:39 AM
“Yuo West Virginian yokels are bitter and cling to guns and religion and Hillary Clinton. Once I am annointed, I will take all those things away from you.”
rbj on May 14, 2008 at 8:39 AM
You need to get your eyes and or radar checked. He is a good and decent man. Do you not know any of those?
EJDolbow on May 14, 2008 at 8:44 AM
You know what else the “bitter people” cling to? Their right to vote.
Think Obama will add that to the list?
EJDolbow on May 14, 2008 at 8:45 AM
Yup,I caught that on Fox last night,and Rove said
Obama made 4 mistakes,not going for air time to
talk to Americans was one of them!
Me things he’s shell shocked*,rattled so to speak!
*(Canopfor regrets the use of shell shocked as Obama
has no Military experience,the use of the phrase is
regretful!Haha)
canopfor on May 14, 2008 at 8:45 AM
I’m just so glad the Dems are dumb enough to send Obama off to lose an election that the Democrats have no business losing, once again.
Only the most inept politicians and strategists could manage to lose this fall (and in 2004 for that matter).
Granted, we aren’t winning that much, and we may fall even farther behind in Congress, but I just can’t imagine having this guy in office for his economic “policies” alone.
It still boggles my mind that somehow people think that sticking it to corporations, while giving more tax breaks to people who barely pay taxes now, will help the economy.
reaganaut on May 14, 2008 at 8:45 AM
“Surprised” that The Obamboozler didn’t graciously congratulate Clinton on the W.Va. win?!
This is the POSTER CHILD of arrogance – to the point of delusion. For all his Harvard Law creds, he remains a blind fool.
Lockstein13 on May 14, 2008 at 8:49 AM
Karl, you magnificent bastard…you nailed Obama as being the “college kids” choice. College and black vote, that is what Obama is depending on, I don’t think that is enough. Especially with McCain pecking at the liberal crumbs.
right2bright on May 14, 2008 at 8:52 AM
Damn right!
JiangxiDad on May 14, 2008 at 8:53 AM
They don’t. they only think of themselves.
OldEnglish on May 14, 2008 at 8:53 AM
National politics is a different animal from mindless loving local adoration.
McCain can likely wear Obama down over time, and Obama won’t have the luxury of dismissing debates that tend to embarass him.
drjohn on May 14, 2008 at 8:54 AM
Watching the CNN panel whistling by the grave of their chances – ie., ignoring the demographics of the route of Obama in WV – gave me great hope for the Dems losing in November.
That’s all the hopeyness I can muster at this point.
OK, a little more hopyeness:
I hope CNN never Ch ch changes its Election Night Panel & one day hires Roland Martin to host full time… in that real cool robe of his.
Shivas Irons on May 14, 2008 at 8:54 AM
Why won’t Obama talk to the white people in W.VA and ask them for their vote in the general election? Is he prejudiced?
JiangxiDad on May 14, 2008 at 8:55 AM
That’s right. Part of Obama’s appeal is the promise of punishing the successful, as though one is ever going to gain employment from a slug.
Democrats are good at mining brainless envy.
drjohn on May 14, 2008 at 8:56 AM
Does anyone ever notice that no one asks a Hillary supporter how they might increase their candidates vote from African Americans?
As if that might not even be worthy of discussion?
I guess it’s more important to discuss “non college attending low income whites”.
Hmmmmmmm?
Shivas Irons on May 14, 2008 at 8:58 AM
Are working-class white voters in WV really that different from working-class white voters in Iowa, or did the former just have more information about Obama before they made their decision?
AZCoyote on May 14, 2008 at 8:59 AM
He does worse with working class Latinos.
Just Sayin’
Beto Ochoa on May 14, 2008 at 8:59 AM
Obama did congratulate Hillary, he left a message on her cell phone. Classy AND tech savvy, thats Obama.
http://marcambinder.theatlantic.com/archives/2008/05/
obama_calls_to_congratulate_le.php
Bishop on May 14, 2008 at 9:00 AM
You know what else the “bitter people” cling to? Their right to vote.
Think Obama will add that to the list?
EJDolbow on May 14, 2008 at 8:45 AM
Hey, look at how messy Florida was in 2000, plus Ohio in 2004. Not to mention all the billions in wasteful spending and creating Goebbels Warmening greenhouse gases. Democracy is fine, in its time and place. But now that we have the right man in The Obamassiah and a Democratic Congress, we don’t really need/can afford any so-called “democracy.” We need to trust these people to have our best interests at heart, even if we don’t know it. And if you disagree, well then you are just being divisive.
Look for such arguments to start making the rounds in 2009. Me, I’m going to go and get some more guns to cling to.
rbj on May 14, 2008 at 9:01 AM
yes
Beto Ochoa on May 14, 2008 at 9:01 AM
The MSNBC panel of Obama lovers were in lockstep with the CNN cronies. I watched in amazement as they talked about the Messiah, how he couldn’t lose, how he could trounce McCain, if Hill would make a good VP, how soon would Hill step down ……. and never mentioned the fact that she kicked is butt by 40 points in West Virginia. It was like it didn’t even happen.
Strange isn’t it, how Barry has the same cult effect on his worshipers as did the adulterous husband of the very candidate he’s running against.
fogw on May 14, 2008 at 9:06 AM
Gotta roll my eyes at this one. If he had shown up in WV Rove would be saying it was a mistake and he should’ve minimized his presence there after a big loss, which is the correct thing to do anyway. This is why he’s useless as a pundit, he can’t separate his own interests from his commentary. I know it sounds hypocritical coming from someone like me, but if I was in a similar position I think I’d be able to be fair. His coverage of the race so far has been miserably poor, up until last week he was still prattling on about a “Brokered Convention” even though such a thing became unlikely months ago.
Typhonsentra on May 14, 2008 at 9:08 AM
Obama seems ready to take the votes of Red State America … but only if those voters come to him. If not, he and his handlers apparently believe they can win this fall by simply taking every state Gore and/or Kerry won and just throwing Ohio or Virginia a bone or two and turning out enough voters in the northern sections of those states to shift them into the Blue State list.
That may point towards a vice-president Ted Strickland or Mark Warner in Obama’s running mate future, but even with the fawning media behind them, Obama can’t expect not just traditional Republican voters but Hillary’s supporters right now to wipe the slate clean if he continues to treat them with elitist disdain, the way he did Tuesday night. Rove and Bush knew in 2000 and 2004 there were certain states they weren’t going to win because of the demographics, but at least they put on a public face of trying to woo those voters instead of acting like a child who is both snobbish and petulant at the same time. That’s not going to motivate the Hillary voters in the states you will need to win in November to come over and support you against McCain.
jon1979 on May 14, 2008 at 9:10 AM
fogw:
While the election numbers going across the bottom of the screen countered every darn word they were saying.
It makes one wonder what the hell they were looking at in all the laptops on the desks.
Just words, eh?
Shivas Irons on May 14, 2008 at 9:14 AM
O’Reilly on YouTube.
fogw on May 14, 2008 at 9:18 AM
Jees! That Rove is the sharpest pundit on Earth.
TheSitRep on May 14, 2008 at 9:20 AM
sooo how did obama get this far again?
trailortrash on May 14, 2008 at 9:23 AM
It’s all part of Obambaby “isolating” Hillary, part and parcel of saying she is an irrelevant loser and he is above it all now as he is being coronated. BHO is an arrogant snotty, adolescent seventh grade girly boy…ignoring his competition. Sheesh. Karl was magnificent last night.
marybel on May 14, 2008 at 9:23 AM
I believe they were watching New Orleans and CP3 whippin’ up on the Spurs on TBS while waiting for their anti depressants to kick in?
Shivas Irons on May 14, 2008 at 9:24 AM
It began with the Dems naive hopeyness that Hillary would just walk in and that having an African American fighting her would be real good for thier party’s street cred…and Obama would then have the history to be ready to go in 2016.
The Press/MSM layed down and just watched the spectacle, ignoring its responsibility to the America people to properly research the candidates that might one day be President of our country.
Oh yeah, and Howard Dean broke his nose walking into the “Peter Principle” many, many “jobs” ago.
And here we are with the Dems looking as if they bought a pig in a poke as they march down the street in their “Parade of Identity Politics” with less and less clothes on.
Shivas Irons on May 14, 2008 at 9:30 AM
Obama tried to change the subject by going to Missouri yesterday and getting the commentariat to talk about how he “is already starting his general election campaign.” Seemed like a smart thing to do in my opinion. He chose to ignore Hillary rather than stoop to congratulating her. But in the process he did give a big old bitch-slap to the voters of West Virginia.
How in the heck are the Democrats going to end up with a nominee who did not win California, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, New Hamsphire, the entire Midwest east of Illinois, Florida, Kentucky, or West Virginia? Absolutely mind-blowing. You have to hand it to Obama’s strategists, but it’s going to be a pyrrhic victory for them. I am putting his chances of winning the election at about 20% and dropping.
rockmom on May 14, 2008 at 9:42 AM
You tell em Karl I stutter. Obombem, is whooing such a small minority of Demoncrates that think he is the second coming of JFK with a tan.
All that is hiding in his past is an affair with Janet Jackson that began after her wardrobe malfunction.
MSGTAS on May 14, 2008 at 9:44 AM
Hussein’s character is shining through. This man has every intention to fracture Americans by race, region, religion, sex, and class. Should he win the presidency, and Lord in heaven please do not curse this planet with this vile marxist as our national leader, Hussein will continue to be a cruel divider and conqueror.
saved on May 14, 2008 at 9:53 AM
Barry is an immature little kid.
Just like his overtly self-centered loudmouth whiny wife.
benrand on May 14, 2008 at 9:59 AM
That is the main reason Hillary stays in the race, waiting for a huge skeleton to fall out of Barry’s closet.
txsurveyor on May 14, 2008 at 10:04 AM
Obama was stupid. He could have used the opportunity to blow Hillary off of television screens on her night of triumph. The MSM would have jumped on the chance to ignore Hillary and OBH would be re-run every ten minutes.
Without at all implying Hillary would be the right choice, BHO could have spouted ten minutes of baby-kissing warmth, something like
This is a great country. We let everyone have a voice. The people have spoken and I appreciate their input. I am taking their voice into consideration in my campaign and we are all going to work twice as hard to win them to my side. We can do it – together – yada yada
It would have helped soften the edge of the Wright debacle
But fortunately for the right, BHO is a stupid tool. He is pampered. He runs with the pampered elites. He attends a hate-reinforcing church that emphasizes separation from damned America. He is being massaged by his leftist tool and die guys just as surely as Cindy Sheehan was massaged as long as she was useful
If developmentally challenged BeeHO wants to steal my speech above it is OK, because if it cannot be spoken with false warmth it will fall flat. Whitey is a problem for him. Not white people, but the whitey of Bill Ayers and Rev Wright.
entagor on May 14, 2008 at 10:05 AM
Metaphorama!
mikeyboss on May 14, 2008 at 10:07 AM
West Virginia was a distraction.
ThePrez on May 14, 2008 at 10:13 AM
He is smarter for ignoring. Why prolong a negative news cycle for him with saying anything, while the MSM is trashing the results and futility of it for him.
I’m sure Axelrod et al balanced both choices and decided on irrelevancy. Hardest insult to take is irrelevancy. She would have parsed anything gracious by him and sought to make a controversy out of it. Better to let her dwindle in silence.
As MM points out, the Republicans better get some leadership on the national and local level or a Marxist/Leninist/Elitist will beat a Clumsy, Fusty, Narcissistic Waffler in November.
Starlink on May 14, 2008 at 10:18 AM
Yes, we probably could run Mickey Mouse against him and win. Which makes our “choice” of a liberal like McCain to beat this glass-jawed candidate that much more unforgivable.
fossten on May 14, 2008 at 10:20 AM
I pretty much agree with Rove’s analysis…But…BO making a speech would have had zero positive effect in West BG Virginia. I think Obama knew it and just didn’t bother. Perhaps I give him too much credit.
I’m predicting Kentucky will be much the same. He’ll do better around Louisville, Lexington and perhaps Frankfort but the rest will go overwhelmingly for Clinton.
Oldnuke on May 14, 2008 at 10:49 AM
He cant be troubled by all the typical white people in WV who cling to their guns and religion and antipathy towards people who dont look like them.
Lunkinator on May 14, 2008 at 10:57 AM
Only a fairly small percentage of people are going to even know Obam didn’t give a speech after West Virginia. This point is largely inside baseball talk.
moxie_neanderthal on May 14, 2008 at 10:59 AM
It was a missed opportunity. That’s the point. And it was missed because Obama didn’t even consider talking to the crackers. He knows this is all about race. Trouble for him is, we know it now too.
JiangxiDad on May 14, 2008 at 11:14 AM
I’m hoping that Obama is still a sore loser on Nov 5th. That’s the contest we have to get ready for: the general election.
I don’t care who the Dem nominee is, or the Republican, for that matter; my choice dropped out and McCain is doing all he can to make me want to stay home.
But I won’t. I will vote-my right to vote is special-most of the world doesn’t have that honor.
Doug on May 14, 2008 at 12:04 PM
I think the latter, obviously. The public didn’t know about Wright, Hamas, etc back then…it does now…
A press interested in investigative reporting would probably have ended Obama’s political career within days of his becoming a serious candidate. It is not like the information was that hard to find.
18-1 on May 14, 2008 at 12:22 PM
One of the reasons he got hammered by 40 instead of 25 or 30 was the constant drum beat of “West Virginia doesn’t matter” coming from his supporters (and by ‘his supporters’, I mean the media).
People don’t like being told they don’t matter. Then he compounded the mistake by not even addressing that the vote occurred.
Voters in Kentucky and the other neighboring states can’t help but notice the consistant message of “you hicks don’t matter”.
I think I see the shadow of general campaign death in the Ohio Valley for Obama.
forest on May 14, 2008 at 12:48 PM
He left a ‘congratulatory’ message on her cell. He’s not aloof, he’s just shy.
Entelechy on May 14, 2008 at 2:11 PM
Barry’s eyes were too red from crying to give a speech, plus he had a craving for arugula which everyone knows can’t be found in a hick state like West Virginny.
Buy Danish on May 14, 2008 at 2:35 PM
Rove has it right, if not for the caucuses Obama would not be where he is.
Chakra Hammer on May 14, 2008 at 3:00 PM
Guns and God — Wouldn’t Be Caught Dead in A State Like That
DKK
NRO’s The Corner
LifeTrek on May 14, 2008 at 5:27 PM
West Virginia doesn’t help my kids!!1!1!!1!!!
mattshu on May 14, 2008 at 6:25 PM
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