Rove Laments Early Start To '08 Race

Bush's Top Political Adviser Says Candidates Need Time To Hone Messages

(The Politico) 
Rove recalled that Bush and his Austin brain trust had the ability to think about the message for a number of months, while this year's candidates are "being driven by the calendar and by the competition to move into the fray earlier — less prepared, and focused more on the tactical, short-term advantages."

"Is anyone talking about their agenda for America?" Rove asked, noting the possible exception of former Sen. John Edwards, D-N.C., who has been out of office since 2005.

He added that of necessity, candidates are thinking about fund-raising and giving the impression of aggressiveness as they carve out the niche they hope to occupy. "But as far as saying a lot of really interesting things that are going to be compelling enough and durable enough to serve as the means to get to the nomination, let alone the general election," he continued, "I don't see anybody at that place yet."

Rove added that the early start is "going to mean that people are going to spend, ironically enough, more time raising money, because it's going to give them opportunities to spend more money."

Looking to the immediate political horizon, Rove said Bush is confident that seeking common ground with Democrats will allow him to shape the debate for years to come, and perhaps even score some legislative accomplishments — as President Ronald Reagan and others have done when they were lame ducks heading a divided government.

"In one way, things are bad," he said. "We had the majority, and now we don't. On the other hand, that happens with frequency in American politics. What the American people want to know is: Are you going to take the time that you have and turn it to good purpose? Are you going to pick yourself up off of the mat, are you going to go get back into the game, and are you going to do so in a way that gets me to applaud you? If we pick ourselves up off of the mat and get back in the game, as we are, then this'll be a good thing for us."

Rove, a master of the minutiae of political demographics, has singled out four voter groups that he thinks the Republican Party needs to focus on:

Suburbanites: "The heart of our party is married couples with children, but they are also those that are most prone to be mobile in our society and hence less linked into politics."

Younger voters: "That's where you set in motion things that come to pass not in a matter of an election or two, but a matter of a decade or two."

African-Americans: "You can't claim to be a great political party if you're getting 9 or 10 or 11 percent. One of the interesting things about the 2006 election is that we appeared to make gains in the African-American community even while we were losing a national election."

Latinos: "This group is rapidly growing. We do well among them in some elections and not well in others."

Rove has a special interest in the group that demographers call "some college" — people who, like him, attended college but did not graduate. The concerns of this group dovetail with one of his current policy passions: income distribution and education.

"Income is increasingly correlated to more education," he said. "The challenge for our society is how do we prepare every child to be ready for college if he or she decided to go to college? Our problem today is not that we don't have enough higher education opportunities. It's that we don't have enough people who are prepared to take advantage of it."

[energyecon]

Hey Karl! I have a math question for you!

LOL!

[frankbowers]

Any one who believe for one minute that R Armitage outed Valerie Plame need a brain implant and need to speak to me through my tube with a mouth full you might be unable to type or talk. The fact is gw bush, ( true deserter/draft dodger )*** cheney ( draft dodger) and darl rove outed the lady without reguard/concern to the damage they were doing to America and the CIA. The best of good byes Frank Bowers of Austin, TX

[emhawks]

To me, Karl Rove has always been a sickening person.

[inventagod]

Mr. Slimebucket doesn't have to worry, there won't be a Republicon in the White House for another 40 years. Bu$hCo ended the party.

[skyk-2009]

Rove's problem is that people are fed up to their eyes with Bush and the elections will focus more and more attention on the failures, COMPETE FAILURES of Sir Lies-A-Lot. ROFLMAO

[skyk-2009]

ROVE IS THE MAN...ANYTHING HE CAN DO TO KEEP A LEFT WING SURRENDER MONKEY OUT OF THE WHITE HOUSE.
Posted by b48151 at 05:21 PM : Feb 13, 2007

Intelligence isn't your strong suit now is it? ROFLMAO I'd suppose you HONESTLY believed Sir Lies-A-Lot when he told you the mission was accomplished... how long ago was that. Now I know we shouldn't complicate you small and insignificant little mind with the FACT that WE the PEOPLE are in charge and WE the PEOPLE went to the POLLS in November and decided that the Bush War was cased by LIES and should be ended. Now everyone know you fascist have a hard time with the concept of a Government by the People, but that's the way it is. ROFLMAO I've got a dog smarter that this Cracker folks! ROFLMAO

[hangelle]

And I lament Rove's continued presence in the White House, as well as the confusion of these reporters in thinking that anyone gives a hoot about what Rove laments. He's soooo yesterday, and although he belongs in prison, its our fault he and his war criminal gang are not being held accountable. Shame on us.

[cantshutup]

razzl...you are ON the money! I agree 100 0/0!!!
Who do they think they're kidding??? They're so out of touch they can reach Mars...

[hawksprings]

tejasdemo, and the Democrats are different how?


.

[tejasdemo]

At the end of the day all the BS (Rove) that gets dished out cant hide the fact that Republicans are the most immoral, crooked,lying group of SOBs in the country and deserve nothing less than banishment to the far reaches of the earth.

[Razzl]

Either this man is as truly out of touch as his master, or else he knows things are so bad that the only tactic left is to ignore the storm and pretend we are back in some sort of nostalgic state of "normal". Bush and Cheney have whipped up a passionate state of fear and hate which has an energy of its own that will carry the impassioned voters all the way to next November without letup. The idea that any of his four groups above (Blacks, hispanics, suburbanites, young) could even remotely be coaxed to vote Republican in '08 is fantasy. Bush and Rove are reaping what they have sown for themselves and their pathetic musings in reflective moments generate no sympathy from any of us whose lives are thrown into chaos by their moral turpitude.

[fredgrad2000]

Hey Ademeyer -

Not only did you post 4 in a row, but you posted the same tired rhetoric we hear from your kind every single day...blah, blah blah, blah blah...maybe you should read the news every now and again, Karl Rove didn't out Mrs. Wilson, Richard Armitage did; to both early sources!! So get your facts straight before you blather on and on; I come on here a few times a week and all I ever see is complaining and namecalling from you and your MoveOn.org cronies, do any of you on the left actually have any ideas other than opposing anything the President or Republicans propose?...you hate Karl Rove because he has whooped you in 2 straight presidential elections; ones that you think you should have won.

[aaabee-2009]

In two years, this man will be sitting in his living room, snuggly retired from "public service", he will never have to worry about money, he will never have to worry about health care. He will sit in his stately home, probably with a stogie in his mouth and some expensive port in a small glass, with his look-alike, think-alike buddies, and they will rehash the olden days when they ruled the world.

Not only Rove, but Bush and Cheney too. No one will never touch them, no one will hold them accountable. They are going to get away with all of it. Yeah for the GOP.

[ademeyer]

If I were Allen/Harris I would have picked up a peanut butter smeared apple slice and shoved it right up his little pig snout. OK, I 'll stop posting...you get my drift.

[ademeyer]

Do you suppose Rove is cultivating little Harris and Allen in order to use them at some future date to spread more Republican propaganda? Cause I do! Way to kill your credibility Allen/Harris. Why don't you give Putin a chance to give us his opinion of the Presidential race, next?

[ademeyer]

So, Karl Rove is reduced to talking to Mike Allen and John F. Harris, little string reporters, because Pulitzer Prize winning journalists have had enough of being used to out CIA agents? Do you suppose Rove is cultivating little Harris and Allen in order to use them at some future date to spread more Republican propaganda.

[ademeyer]

Why is anyone talking to this man? The man responsible for blowing the cover of a CIA expert on WMDs? What a detestible, un-American pig of a person. A political operative responsible for giving us the worst President in American history. Why is anyone talking to him?

[nolalou]

bvckvs, It isn't just the Democrats, Republicans are doing the same, with Mitt Romney just anouncing today, and Gulianai touring the country, and McCain also hinting he wants to run. The problem is once one candidate 'jumps the gun' the rest feel they have to get in quick, before it's too late and all the money and support are already spoken for.

[racam-2009]

Carl Rove is going to be just like Bush and the rest of his cronies, no one is going to want to touch them or listen to them. He is the largest part of the corupt administration that was assembled. From this point on Rove will cease to be except that the media will keep him in the picture.

[bvckvs-2009]

Karl's right. It's foolish for the Dems to jump the gun on the 2008 campaign.

They need to develop a message first - something that defines what they're FOR.