Rove Criticizes McCain's Handling Of Campaign, Gives Electoral Map To Obama

Appearing on Fox News Sunday, Karl Rove criticized the McCain campaign for its handling of several strategic operations of the campaign.

Asked about the candidate's decision to shut down its Michigan operations, Rove, who serves informally as an adviser to McCain, seemed perplexed that the campaign did it with such apparent flair.

"I don't know, I don't know," said Rove. "And not only that, but it set off a spat of warfare inside the Michigan Republican Party with the former national committee man sending a letter to Sarah Palin saying 'please contest the state,' and leaking that to the members of the state central committee which guaranteed it would be in the hands of the press."

Later in the program, Rove was quizzed about a Washington Post piece that contained a quote from a McCain aide saying the campaign wanted to "turn the page" on the economic crisis and start going after Obama on character traits. Rove didn't dismiss the idea, arguing that it needed to be accompanied with a positive economic message that voters could latch onto. But he was, once more, at odds to explain why McCain would talk about it publicly.

"Again I wonder about that. Some of the best strategies are the strategies you don't call attention to," he said. "For example, right now Obama is running a television ad in battleground states where he basically calls government run health care an extreme and tries to position himself as somebody... You don't see them out there calling attention to it... They simply let the tactic play out."

Separately, in a post on his website, Rove projected that if the election were held today, Obama would get at least 273 electoral votes and become the next president of the United States. The architect of George W. Bush's two presidential campaigns attributed the Democratic nominee's rise to the current economic woes and cautioned that landscape is fluid. But, he added:

"39 new state polls released in the first three days of October have given Barack Obama his first lead over the magic number of 270 since mid-July. Minnesota (10 EV) and New Hampshire (4 EV) both moved from toss-up to Obama, giving him 273 electoral votes to McCain's 163, with 102 votes remaining as a toss-up."

"If the election were held today, Obama would win every state John Kerry won in 2004, while adding New Mexico (5 EV), Iowa (7 EV), and Colorado (9 EV) to his coalition. Remember, though, that these state polls are a lagging indicator and most do not include any surveying done after the vice-presidential debate on Thursday night."

Comments

[Prayforchange]

Rove has some nerve. Rove and his Attwater teachings are the cause of McCain's downfall, it was bound to catch up to the Republicans, after 30 plus years. See the link below...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9KzbJtG9V2E

[LightningJoe]

Trust Rove to know where the leaks are likely to be, and to avoid such locales. The LAST thing a king-maker like Rove wants, is visibility.

The man is under subpoena to testify before Congress; a summons he's illegally ignoring, citing the discredited saw of "Executive Privilege."

[JoDeeVa]

Clearly a Rovian scare tactic for the Republican-base, intended to motivate and mobilize them..not necessarily for McCain, but for the 2012 Republican Prez candidate. I really wonder if they may actually be willing to throw McCain under the bus, at this point for the sake of "Saving Sarah." C'mon, the Rove-Bush faction of the party was never thrilled with McCain in the first place.

Palin is distinguishing herself, with rhetoric on the Bush Doctrine (even if she didn't know that's what it was or that's what she was doing) and now, challenging the McCain strategy on the Michigan bail. Seizing the opportunity, I dare say there is more to come from "the maverick." Palin has already got the "Republican spin"..give her 4 years of reading newspapers, brushing up on the h/o Supreme Court decisions, "Bush Doctrine/Neocon 101" and she just might be seeing Russia from the White House!
OMG!..did I just say that?....

[SailFree]

Clearly Rove is a very bright politican strategist, an honest and honorable man who calls it as he sees it.

[marbou888]

I agree with the first statement. As for honest and honorable, in your dreams!

[tgram]

Don't pay attention to Rove.

Keep working hard to get the Democrats in. The Republicans want us to take our eyes of the ball...NO WAY, NO HOW, NO MCCAIN!

[tgram]

Don't pay attention to Rove.

Keep working hard to get the Democrats in. The Republicans want us to take our eye of the ball...NO WAY, NO HOW, NO MCCAIN!

[elle11]

EVERYTHING, I repeat, EVERYTHING the Rovester says has been CAREFULLY arranged.

This truth needs to be repeated over and over again.

[Bocababs]

And let the 30 Days Out Games Begin!! If tomorrow's debate was not a Town Hall Style....the Campaign Organizers would have to mop the floor after this one from all the ugly back and forth accusations. I for one, am kinda glad both candidates have to talk to the voters instead of each other.

[Just2stressed]

Why would any democrats and indpendents who will be voting democrat would want to listen to Karl Rove. Give me a friggin break. I betcha he's plotting with Sen. McCain how to smear Sen. Obama.

[Just2stressed]

Sen. Obama's supporters, PLEASE, PLEASE don't get complacent in thinking that the election has been won. Never accept victory before the time for victory has come. Remember, during the primaries, Sen. McCain's campaign was almost over, everybody thought he would not win the nomiation, and, he did.

This election is not yet over, Sen. Obama has not won, we don't know that he will. Therefore, Sen. Obama's campaign should fight with every breath. DO NOT watch the polls. People do lie to pollsters. They need to act is if they are the underdogs (in fact, they are the underdogs). The campaign should act as though they have everything working against them, not for them.

We are 29 days away. ANYTHING can happen during this time.

[SekhmetHathor]

Never trust Rove, I'm sure there is an ulterior motive to what he is saying.

On Michigan : McCain might as well have pulled out. His comments during the primary about Michigan jobs not coming back p*ssed off a lot of people here. Not only that Michigan has voted Democratic in the last four presidential elections.

The small city I live in is plastered with Obama signs. In good neighborhoods, bad neighborhoods and working class neighborhoods, like the one I live in. I honestly have never felt so much solidarity with my neighbors or so comfortable with a decision I have made.

Obama signs galolre - McCain signs a much rarer sight. I thought this would change once I left the city. Nope. Took a trip North to Mt. Pleasant on Saturday to go to an indigenous peoples art show and Obama is dominating the signs market. Were there more McCain signs up North than in the cities? Yes, but McCain signs are still vastly outnumbered by the Obama signs.

My guess is that Michigan loves Obama, or the McCain supporters are too embarrassed to put signs in the yards.

[PaulC37943]

While the buzz about the latest issue of Rolling Stone revolves around the McCain article, Matt Taibbi has a another piece about Rove which I view as a cautionary tale. It is just like Rove to criticize McCain publicly while working for him behind the scenes. It's no coincidence that the McCain campaign has tacked hard into culture wars and identity politics territory.

[35Echo]

Check it out:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rUEQz5dltmI

[veryverybigmonkey]

check out: http://www.johnmccainrecord.com

very simple / efffective

[Pegi]

LOL, PACK YOUR BAG ROVE - METHINKS YOU ARE HEADED TO JAIL SOMETIME AFTER PRESIDENT OBAMA IS IN THE OVAL OFFICE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[cyndeewi]

Why should Rove go to jail? Obama is not going to put that man in jail.

[Kitsuiko]

If you don't think the last thing that W does in office is grant a full pardon to everyone in his little coalition.. well.. I don't know what to say. You're incorrect.