So, Karl Rove had a bad night last Tuesday, huh?
He’s smart and has on many occasions shown a keen understanding of Republicans’ vulnerabilities. The compassion in George W. Bush’s conservatism — the oratorical emphasis on education, the moderate stance on immigration — was a Rove-blessed attempt to keep the party from seeming as harsh as it does now. Rove has warned repeatedly that it mustn’t estrange Latino voters. And he was among the first and loudest Republican leaders to lament the damage that Christine O’Donnell, Sarah Palin and Todd Akin were doing to the party’s brand.
But he either didn’t or couldn’t keep them away in the first place, and as the 2012 campaign progressed, he seemed to get lost in the exaggerated, delusional spin of it all. This culminated in his attempt on election night to refute the Ohio returns and the projection of an Obama victory, prompting the Fox News anchor Megyn Kelly to ask him if his contrary calculations were just “math that you do as a Republican to make yourself feel better.”
Two days later, back on Fox News, Rove was still spinning, still in denial. He claimed that Obama won by “suppressing the vote,” but by voter suppression he meant negative ads about Bain. The same kind, mind you, that Adelson once helped circulate.
Blowback
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Hows the NY Times doing financially anyhow?
rob verdi on November 11, 2012 at 9:02 AM
I don’t know about Rove, but America certainly did. She lost BIG TIME
clippermiami on November 11, 2012 at 9:02 AM
Rove used a 2004 model in 2012. His 2000 and 20004 models were innovative in those years, but Dems caught up, and surpassed him.
Wethal on November 11, 2012 at 9:07 AM
This story was a result of Karl Rove spinning to Frank Bruni in a desperate attempt to rebuild his brand with the Gang of 500, who haven’t forgiven him for BOOOOOSH!
The Democrats want him as Party Boss, to block another Reagan from rising up.
victor82 on November 11, 2012 at 9:11 AM
Every pink slip to a laid off Democrat should come with a NYT article gloating about Tuesday’s result.
We must educate the morons. It is our duty.
Punchenko on November 11, 2012 at 9:12 AM
The Dems basically ran Rove’s 2004 campaign.. So thanks for that Rove!
Illinidiva on November 11, 2012 at 9:13 AM
Romney throwing Rove off the balcony in last night’s SNL skit was pretty funny.
KS Rex on November 11, 2012 at 9:14 AM
Notice how they’re not gloating about winning on the wild successes of their policies?
Yay, you cobbled together a big enough coalition of racists, parasites, marxists and malcontents to win. I guess Americans should take a break from their otherwise imperiled existence to celebrate the reelection of the architect of their misery.
The Count on November 11, 2012 at 9:17 AM
Rove is more right than wrong.
I never expected the takers to be more motivated to vote for O than the makers were to vote him out. It still makes no sense to me.
I am on the bridge of the USA Titanic screaming about the iceberg while the rest of the people are enjoying the free cavier. I think Tuesday was our last chance to turn away and now it will take a true national hero to fix this mess. Sadly we have to hope he or she appears in 4 years as the current leader is a phony surrounded by fawning idiots.
The people whining about republicans needing to change their stripes now are idiots. A true conservative at the helm is our only chance at saving this nation.
Bensonofben on November 11, 2012 at 9:17 AM
The electorate has changed, minorities voted overwhelmingly for Obama. I think it’s anti-white bias plain and simple. We are on a trajectory to become like a dysfunctional Latin American country.
Charlemagne on November 11, 2012 at 9:22 AM
I’m not a fan of Rove. His compassionate conservative nonsense led to huge debt increases during the GW Bush years. Yes, Obama has outspent Bush, but Bush really laid the groundwork and I fault Rove for that.
This business of pretending to not be conservative hss not and will not work.
Hopefully this will end or curtail Karl Rove’s influence.
jdflorida on November 11, 2012 at 9:25 AM
Yes, anti-white bias and also the dumbing down of the electorate. How many here wouldn’t support some kind of civics test requirement before you were permitted to vote?
The Count on November 11, 2012 at 9:31 AM
We can’t because that “requirement” was abused in the South pre 1960s.
Illinidiva on November 11, 2012 at 9:41 AM
This country’s health and welfare is of no value to Tokyo Rove. These elections are nothing but a sporting event for a guy who’s never been physically fit enough to play sports. In essence – he uses politics to compensate for his lack of physical prowess.
He’s an enemy of the Republic – and now, a pretty pathetically discredited one.
HondaV65 on November 11, 2012 at 9:43 AM
Karl Rove? Somehow, I can’t imagine…
Ladysmith CulchaVulcha on November 11, 2012 at 9:43 AM
Rove nearly lost his mind covering the 2010 midterm election night. He was bickering with everyone and Joe Trippi was the only one on the panel who wasn’t making me want to turn the channel.
Rove can’t be on TV on election nights – too much personally at stake for him.
forest on November 11, 2012 at 9:46 AM
Rove needs to go away… he didn’t let Dubya fight the smears and lies, and it’s crushed the Republican brand with millions of otherwise conservative voters…
phreshone on November 11, 2012 at 9:52 AM
Bad pictures in my head… Bad pictures.
Illinidiva on November 11, 2012 at 9:54 AM
There is no longer a winning constituency for limited government in the US. To be honest, there hasn’t been since before the Great Depression. In hindsight it shouldn’t surprise anyone that in economic crises, when push comes to shove, an increasing majority of voters will cling to the government life raft. (That the crises are typically if often speciously attributed to the free market itself naturally doesn’t help.)
It’s a little unfair to imply that this generation’s masses of Latinos or Mexicans are uniquely responsible for this, btw. You could as easily blame all the Irish, Italians, Jews and other non-Yankees who voted en masse for Democrats or socialists during the previous 150 years.
But the upshot is that I seriously doubt any “true conservative” or libertarian could get much mileage out of a promise to tamper with the basic principle of big government. The sullen third of the electorate loosely characterizable as populist just want government to put its foot on the scale in a different manner.
Seth Halpern on November 11, 2012 at 9:54 AM
Yeah, my barf bag runneth over.
Ladysmith CulchaVulcha on November 11, 2012 at 10:04 AM
True, except they used 2012 technology, microtargeting, etc., while Rove was still using his 2004 methods.
Wethal on November 11, 2012 at 10:12 AM
The problem with the GOP is that they don’t know who they are. Free markets, free people and God. This is all about the individual. Individual freedom should be the hallmark of this party. That means rule of law and jobs. Anything that deviates from this is not what the party should be about.
There are millions of Americans out there who go to work, play by the rules and are concerned about the future. The Dems have no vision for the future. They talk about it, but their policies are always short term. The GOP is the true forward looking party and it’s about damn time for someone in the GOP to say it. Paul Ryan is one. But we need all of the GOP singing from the same sheet of music. We need everyone in the GOP to plant their feet and say we won’t support any policy that will make our future worst off.
That means Obamacare, amnesty, and cutting our national defense. How do these policies make our future brighter? This should be the message of the GOP. Our future is at stake. Higher taxes, bankruptcy and more people dependent on Government is not a great future for our country.
milemarker2020 on November 11, 2012 at 10:33 AM
Rove wasn’t involved in the 2012 Romney campaign.. But it was the same framework as the one he ran in 2004 for Bush.. Get ballot initiative that appeal to segments of your block.. (2004 – gay marriage and 2012 – weed), pander to specific demographics, make it a perpetual campaign. It was a small campaign, so when Bush wanted to do “big things,” like make Social Security solvent, then he couldn’t.
Illinidiva on November 11, 2012 at 10:44 AM
….but…but…butt…his “BOARDS”!
…he writes on them for us!
KOOLAID2 on November 11, 2012 at 11:12 AM
Go away, Rove. Please.
And take the toe-sucker with you.
Del Dolemonte on November 11, 2012 at 11:27 AM
The only good thing about Mitt’s loss on Tuesday was Rove’s part in it…..he he.
Hopefully that’s the last we see/hear of him. *fingers crossed*
tencole on November 11, 2012 at 11:39 AM