“Certainly I think there’s a level of frustration with the state of things in D.C.,” Randy Cubriel, a Texas lobbyist, told the Times. See if you can read between the lines here: “I think a group like ours, coming from the state, is probably a little more effective than some of the national groups.”

Crossroads was widely criticized for not producing more victories in 2012 despite spending some $300 million. The group had dismal 16.7 percent success rate in the last election, according to OpenSecrets.

And then there’s this bizarre embodiment of Rove’s slipping grasp: While providing live election night analysis for Fox News, he refused to concede that Ohio had gone for Obama and that, as a result, Romney had lost the race.

“He has lost his mojo,” a GOP strategist subsequently told the Washington Post of Rove. “He has become total spin, including spinning himself.”