Remember: Rove Attacks His Opponent's Strength

[Rose Siding]

Nice to see this reminder in the WaPo, even if it is written by our friend, the very smart and savvy Froomkin:

snip>
Karl Rove didn't get George W. Bush this far just by luck. Rove has a brilliant and so far unbeatable strategy when it comes to political warfare: He doesn't defend his candidate's weaknesses, he attacks his opponent's strengths. Unapologetically.

Consider the 2004 campaign, when Rove was faced with a Vietnam problem. A war hero was running against his boss, who had opted to stay well out of harm's way. Rather than defend, Rove attacked -- and put John Kerry on the defensive.

Today, Democrats are uniting against the war and the public is increasingly worried and critical about Bush's leadership. So what's Rove doing? Rather than defend against their criticisms, Rove has decided to go for the jugular.

The most compelling anti-war arguments are that the war in Iraq was a diversion from the war on terror and that American troops are dying daily for no good reason. So Rove's response is to liken war critics to al Qaeda sympathizers intent on subverting the American military.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/linkset/2005/04/11/LI2005041100879.html

Bush's indefensible weakness is a needless war of choice without end.

The strength that Rove has attacked is thoughtfulness and caution in matters of war and peace. -and, of course, a penchant to identify and pursue the actual enemy.

He's taken on an awfully virtuous opponent!

[BrklynLiberal]

1. The man is a blood oozing, ultimate evil genius. What possible karma

could be awaitng him that would do him the justice he deserves?

[Geek_Girl]

2. I think his personal life

Has been pretty miserable. From what Ive read his mother committed suicide, he comes from a broken home and I think his kid has some kind of mental handicap.

I would say Karma has bit him in the ass through out his life. But I have a feeling Karma isn't done with him yet

[bliss_eternal]

5. Wow--that's horrible. I didn't know this about him.

Not that I feel sorry for him--but I wouldn't wish what life has dealt him so far, on anyone. You'd think he'd get a clue and try to be a better person.

[Geek_Girl]

7. Here's an interisting article

<snip>
Rove prepared for the harder edges of US politics by surviving his youth. Born on Christmas Day 1950 in Denver, Colorado, he grew up in or near the Rockies, where his father worked as a geologist. On his 19th birthday, his father walked out on him. Soon afterwards, he found out that he was not his father after all, the news dropped into a dinner-table conversation by his aunt and uncle. Twelve years later, alone in Reno, his mother committed suicide.
</snip>

[Faygo Kid]

11. You want to know his father? See post 10.

One on one with Karl Rove, a peer in terms of age, as is Limbaugh. Bring it.

[I Have A Dream]

13. I don't feel bad for him, but I feel bad for his mother & child. n/t

[EFerrari]

15. Wow, that's horrible. I didn't know he reproduced. n/t

[bliss_eternal]

4. Loss of his poitical mouthpieces--he doesn't have the balls

or the charisma to run for anything himself.

Losing the power that he has obtained through his position is probably the only karma that would hurt a guy like him...and maybe the ability to engineer the next monster, waiting in the wings--whoever that may be.

[bluedonkey]

18. hungry ghost! n/t

[zapped 1]

3. thank you.

That was a great and (potentially) useful analyses.

[DemonFighterLives]

6. Makes Durbin's apology look all the worse

Andy Card- what a card!
:wtf:

[Rose Siding]

8. I'm not so sure.

You could be right, but *maybe* being reasonable is all wrapped up with the same strength. (keeping in mind that Durbin didn't dispute his point- he simply reached out to those he felt he had genuinely wounded. Misguided, imo)

I'm just hoping that Dems don't take the bait and try to out he-man bush on the subject of the Iraq war- that would contradict the strength that has been attacked.

[DemonFighterLives]

20. I don't really think Durbin hurt anyone

He only shined a light on the corruption and torture that we are all allowing.
Doesn't appear that rover will be taking his crap back. Being that close to the pResident, he should not be dividing and conquering like that. Afterall dubby is a uniter.
:rofl:

[DeepModem Mom]

9. kick

[Faygo Kid]

10. Something is coming. Rove, out front? Something is wrong here.

Rove is indeed the spawn of Satan, but one must acknowledge his brilliance, taking a simpleton like GWB with nothing but a familiar name and putting him in the WH as a one-term guv who would do the bidding of the neocons. Forget that, at this point. What really matters is his timing. Either he is pandering to the base in light of the impending Supreme Court appointment (Gonzalez not beloved by the "religious" right, but will do as he is told by Cheney, et al), or there is going to be war expansion in the Middle East (Syria? Even these nuts wouldn't invade Iran - would they?) Anyway, he has never done this before, putting himself before the public eye like this. Must be Something Big.

[oxbow]

17. Absolutely right

theres a method to his madness. We must be proud of not turning to war as the first resort like the neo-cons do.

At the same time, we have to keep an eye on Rove. I think all this might really be either about the SCOTUS opening or the new batch of Abu Ghraib photos. Either way, don't underestimate the bastard. He's crazy like a fox, a fat greasy fox.

[GOPisEvil]

12. Remember, he attacked Ann Richards' alcoholism in 1994.

Imagine him representing that coked up frat boy and making an issue of Ann Richards being a recovering alcoholic. Well, he did and the rest is history.

[bemildred]

14. Bullshit. Rove has the worlds best propaganda system at his disposal.

He is nothing without it.

[ArnoldLayne]

16. I can't wait for that TurdBlossom to be frog-marched

out of the White House on treason charges for exposing CIA agent Valerie Plame.

[lonestarnot]

19. And that is precisely why this strategy is not going to work and is

laughable...people are on to him. He's making a gasp for air effort.

[DemonFighterLives]

21. Down with the ship eh

I hope! I hope! :bounce:

[lonestarnot]

22. Sinkin' like a hot rock!

[indigonation]

23. They are no longer on the "right" side now.

We are. I smell blood.

[gulliver]

24. I think this hits the nail on the head. n/t

[PATRICK]

25. It reminds me

of the funny more conservative writer in the Romanticist circle(Shelley, Byron, etc) who used to gently satirize his friends in great short novels. I Think in "Headlong Hall" one unapologetic maste rof the put down would deflate his simple, righteous opponent by accepting the insult or argument without argument and use it to bludgeon the shocked attacker without hesitation.

It is a certain way of putting style over substance, of beating up on the guy withe "winning" argument to the cheers and laughter of the crowd. And
I can always here the WH snickering over their spiteful, not ingenious but mischievous outrage that send the straight folks sputtering.

Some mildly conservative artists of the past do it much better than Rove, this tweaking of serious debate, shock and awe of turning a barb into a boomerang and delighting in scandal. Baudelaire acted like a perpetual sophomore in tacking the opposite wind, delighting in the shock and disruption of simple minded victims. Why lose control if you're wrong? You're smarter than the other guys.

Our guys are more intelligent, but blind to guile, straight men for the Mayberry Comedians who have taken over. Bush is another.

But what is outrageous to me how pitiful this snickering, sneering low grade bullying is compared to the greats, and how great the intended harm compared to the social face slapping of starving individualistic writers. The style is appallingly repulsive, propped up by too much abrogated power and external system support(media). These second class class clowns are an embarassment to the method. It's too easy when the courtiers applaud everything you say. Not maddening as much as plain mad with power.

[orpupilofnature57]

26. Kkkarl's evil perspicacity, is a statement about the audience, not his foe!