You know, as an architect of the Bush presidency, Karl Rove's never impressed me much. He's never been able to craft a mandate or even deliver a convincing electoral win, and steering a below-average President to the lowest approval ratings in modern history is the sort of achievement that doesn't seem to be far beyond the reach of the average farm animal. But if there's one thing that Rove is an absolute genius at, it is taking the sorts of premises which, if most people spoke aloud - or even thought - would cause our heads to explode in a fiery, white-hot burst of pain and divine retribution, and being able to voice them himself without causing any recognizable damage to the poisonous yogurt sloshing around inside his cranial cavity.
Behold Rove at his best, discussing the flag lapel pin issue, and suggesting - believe it or not - that the Democrats are PERSECUTING people who choose to wear such pins. It is, really, really, amazing.
[WATCH.]
WALLACE: Let me ask you about that. Some liberal commentators say that Clinton has been using the Rove playbook going after Obama on values like guns and religion. Does what you have heard from her last week sound familiar?
ROVE: Well it's not what I would have done. There are democrats who are troubled by some of the things that Obama says and why she has not made this an issue earlier, particularly framing it up as an issue that would be raised in the general election and what's his answer now has eluded me. For example, he very early on made the comment about true patriotism consists not of wearing a flag lapel pin but speaking out on the issues. You can be a true patriot and speak out on issues AND wear a flag lapel pin. He sort of questioning the patriotism of people who might put on a flag lapel pin, but disagree with his opinion.