Karl Rove's Advice For Barack Obama

Newsweek:

Four months ago, you took the political world by storm in Iowa. The media were agog. They called your words "gorgeous," your victory "a message to the world." You "made history" and Americans could "look at ourselves with pride" in "a moment to marvel."

Times change. The six weeks leading into Pennsylvania were difficult. You excelled at raising money and gaining endorsements, but got weaker as big problems emerged. Before you can fix them, you must understand them. In Pennsylvania, you won only 30 percent among Catholics and 29 percent among white working-class voters. Defections like this elect Republicans.

Even liberal commentators who adore you warn you can't win with a McGovern coalition of college students and white-wine sippers from the party's left wing. Saying small-town voters cling to guns, faith and xenophobia because of economic bitterness hurt you; it reinforced the growing sense you don't share Middle America's values. So did asking about the price of arugula in Iowa, dismissing the "true" patriotism of people who wear a flag lapel pin, being "friendly" (as your chief strategist, David Axelrod, put it) with a violent, unrepentant '60s radical and having a close relationship with an angry pastor who expressed anti-American sentiments.

Read the whole story: Newsweek

Comments

[ChicagoBob2]

Sen Oback da best .

[jubo]

Why give this squid a pedestal? Are we indulging in a little self-loathing?

[kawika]

Try veracity as the major indicator of a leader.

[mamacat]

Giving good advice is not what got Rove fired from the presidential campaigns of both Ronald Reagan and Bush #1. What is (thankfully) missing from Rove's advice is the immoral and unethical attacks that try to destroy opponents, the absolute inability to work for the common good, the total refusal to follow reasonable orders.

The article might lead one to think that Rove is nothing but a political strategist, someone who politely gives advice to anyone who needs it. Nothing could be further from the truth. This is the same man who got McCain eliminated from the 2000 Republican primary with a telephone whisper campaign that scared the North Carolina voters into voting for Governor (no experience) Bush. The list of allegations against him is so long, that when the history of this epoch is written, it will be necessary to explain that he is not actually a blood relative of the Nazi, Josef Goebbels.

[Stillwaters]

I’d like to offer Barrack some advice.

1: Leaders lead, they don’t endlessly debate: Whoever is preparing him for his debates and general press interactions should be released or raise their game. A simple example: In relation to his pastor, he needs to stop explaining and just simply state: You’re electing me, not my pastor. My voters are voting for me, not my pastor. I’m here. I’m standing up for what I believe. - And have the balls to leave it at that.

2. Obama needs to stop performing “formulaic typical politician” acts that show him chasing voters: Follows, inspired, seek out great leaders. The bowling photo op is an action of a “generic politician”, not the action of a leader. O’s campaign has miscalculated by allowing O to perform to much “me too” activity, and needs to urgently “differentiate’ their candidate from the herd.

3. Leaders require boldness: Barrack should be stating that he is a democratic candidate. The party will either win with him, or lose with him, but he will not run as a republican candidate or pander to Republican values and issues. Power for power’s sake is the Bush and Clinton mandate.

4. Leaders stand for something: Obama is not just a personality; he is the main focal point of a movement, a response to a specific time and period. It’s time for the array of personalities and voters who make up that movement to be brought more into focus through more inventive advertising and communication.

[kawika]

Leaders lead by surrounding themselves with competent people.
If bellicosity, incompetance and arrogrance were a measure of leadership...I think my friend../ we have lived it for the past seven.
A responsible leader, must measure the response...not for now but project it into the future....You may wish for him to strike now...But why beat a dead horse?
That's the difference between Strategy and Tactics...In a business sense between Sales and Marketing.
That is why, I hope Obama, has the wherewithal to cull the chaff.

[StephenJK]

"4. Leaders stand for something: Obama is not just a personality; he is the main focal point of a movement, a response to a specific time and period."

Yes. A specific time and period where the American electorate is so befuddled and lost that they flock to a candidate like Barack Obama. He's playing the Alinsky game to a T. Well, almost. He's failing and flailing now. He was running the path up until just after WI. The path quickly faded and Obama now finds himself trying to remove himself from the briar patch he's run himself into.

Rove doesn't really give Obama any advice here. He's simply prepping his party for the attack phase and subsequent electoral win if Obama is the nominee. Rove fears that Clinton will get the nomination and that will effectively end any hope for the right base to win in Nov.

[ChicagoBob2]

Oh my God how can anyone take anything Karl Rove says and think it is moral or ethical?

[2CoolCats]

He must have some sort of motive. Do you think he needs a job?

Hasn't he been trash talking Obama for quite a while, before this glowing bit of advice?

Maybe he finally believes that Obama will be our next president.

But with McCain and HRC in the mix, who doesn't realize that?

[Daly]

As I tell my kid, you should at least hear and consider what the other side is telling you. Listening usually does not cost and sometime will help with a nugget of benefit or exposure an opening to be exploited.

(even a broken clock shows the correct time twice a day)

Obama should take Rove's advice with a truckload of salt. YES! however Rove, I think is trying to retain viability and we all can see that the sinking ss billary and McBoom fools.

Rove come out and tell us are you trying to trick us or make amends?

[Tellmethetruth]

Back in November/December I blogged so many times I got sick of it stating that Rove spoke numerous times, "Give me Obama as the Democratic nominee, and I will guarantee a Republican President in November of 2008."

The truck load of dirt the Republicans have piled up on Obama will make every other politician seem like a saint.

[FogBelter]

What Obama needs to win the election are a whole ton of Americans who love their country and want to see it changed for the better voting for him.

Parsing Americans always nauseates me ... Theodore Roosevelt detested the notion of "hyphenated Americans" ... whatever your race, religion, sex, or nation of origin you are either an American or you aren't.

The Era of McGovern is over ... that was 36 years ago ... and this is a New World Order.

And personally, I prefer Barbera as my wine. Generally with a medium rare lump of flesh.

[poco767]

Karl Rove's Advice For Barack Obama: Sacrifice a new born baby and slather yourself in blood at the light of a full moon.

[blackjack]

I hope that Obama just takes ROVES advice with a grain of salt. Roves is advising two candaits now H. Clinton and John McCain. The reason that I believe this for H. Clinton was a GOLDWATER GIRL and she is still in the REPUBLICAN CAMP. The CORPORITE CONTROLED MEDIA will see that McCain wins this time and H. Clinton in four years, and she will pick up where McCain left off, for both are SOCKPUPPETS OF LIE-berman and the CORPORATE CONTROLED MEDIA, which making BILLIONS off of US COMMON PEOPLE. AND I MEAN BILLIONS.

[2CoolCats]

Obama should take Rove's advice with a truckload of salt.

Rove's playing an angle, and it's pretty obtuse.

[kae]

I noticed at the end of the newsweek article it credits Rove as a newsweek contributer and former Bush adviser they left out McCain campaign adviser, maybe this is common knowledge?

[CTmom13]

And Clinton Adviser

[wndrwrthg]

If rove is not careful, hillarys campaign will accuse him of plagiarism for coping their talking points.

[lorla]

Funny, I thought Rove was Clinton's advisor.

[WongChin]

Geez! This Rove guy and his rightwing bedfellows are panicking like hell. Only a day or two ago, he had this other op-ed article in the New York Times.

All this suggests that in Obama we have a very very strong nominee. If not, Rove and the rest would be working to get him on the Dem ticket, just like they are currently doing for Hillary.

I am no sadist, but I must confess I enjoy wathing them on TV when, as they try to savage Obama, their voices quiver as if they are about to cry.

They are frustrated that this Obama guy has zoomed past before they could weigh in. They had taken it for granted that Hillary would successfully do the job and then present herself to be uncased.

Since when has anyone seen Karl Rove sound so helpless?

[2CoolCats]

Exactly. He must need a job. This could be good, though. If Karl Rove has nice things to say about Obama, this could mean a lot of republican votes for Obama.

Obama... don't go to the dark side... go towards the light...

[Daly]

You could say Rove leave the dark side renounce your devilish ways and join the good.

Publically reject McBoom and ya know the sinking ss Billary is giving Mark Penn all their $.

Karl, what say you?

[RandyRP]

Rove's comments cross the line between "advice" and "attack".

Rove and the MSM, are incorrect when it comes to some of their "analysis" of who "supports" Obama Their "analysis" looks more like a funhouse mirror.

We keep hearing about the 90% of AA voters support O'bama. Yet rarely in the SAME article do we hear about the fact that 60% - 65% of women support HRC. I am reminded of the saying "birds of a feather flock together". It's human nature. Yet these statistical facts can not be overlooked becasue they serve to invalidate other demographic analysis.

In the PA debates HRC acused Obama of supporting "wage tax" increases the would directly "effect policeman, fireman, indutrial workes and teachers". This was an outight lie and Obama called her on it. What he does support is raising the cap on Social Security Taxes (which employers match) above the current level of 92,000. Only six percent of our nations highest paid employess are going to be effected. Yet it is more likely to effect, as Rove puts it "the white wine sippers" AND they still support him..

HRC is just using SS as a political football and doing so in a decptive manner. When I heard Bill prothletizing "Hillary was right about Rwanda", I nearly puked, trying to score political point offs of his own moral failure and marginalizing genocide in the process is beyond the pale.