Rove On McCain: "Very Steep Hill To Climb"

John McCain has a "very steep hill to climb" to win the election, former White House adviser Karl Rove told "Fox News Sunday."

Rove, nicknamed "The Architect" for his role in helping President Bush win the last two elections, gave a sober assessment of McCain's chances, explaining that Barack Obama is ahead with 317 electoral votes, according to his own electoral map.

Rove forecast that Virginia, Colorado, Indiana and Ohio would go Obama's way and that McCain has to win back those states and dominate the remaining battleground states to have any chance of winning:

In order to -- in order for McCain to win, he's got a very steep hill to climb. He's got to win all of the toss-up states, 64 electoral votes, all the yellow-shaded states on the map.

Then he needs to strip away Ohio and Indiana with 31 electoral votes to get him to 252. And then he needs to either win Colorado and Virginia, which gets him to 274, or win one of them plus Pennsylvania, which would get him to 282 or 286. It's a steep uphill climb.

Rove also commented on recent reports about infighting within the McCain campaign:

It is a sign of undisciplined people who do not have the loyalty that they ought to have to the candidate whom they're serving. And it's -- it's a sad sight to see. Nobody makes themselves look good by this process..

Comments

[BandH08]

Below is a list of items requested and the Obama campaign's responses...

1. Occidental College records -- Not released

2. Columbia College records -- Not released

3. Columbia Thesis paper -- "not available"

4. Harvard College records -- Not released

5. Selective Service Registration -- Not released

6. Medical records -- Not released

7. Illinois State Senate schedule -- "not available"

8. Law practice client list -- Not released

9. Certified Copy of original Birth certificate - - Not released

10. Embossed, signed paper Certification of Live Birth -- Not released

11. Harvard Law Review articles published -- None

12. University of Chicago scholarly articles -- None

13. Your Record of baptism-- Not released or "not available"

14. Your Illinois State Senate records--"not available"

[DaOne]

Show me a request by the McSame camp for any of these items.

[VolvoBirkenstock]

13. Your Record of baptism-- Not released or "not available"

That one alone makes your entire post dismissable:

United States Constitution:

Article VI
...The Senators and Representatives before mentioned, and the members of the several state legislatures, and all executive and judicial officers, both of the United States and of the several states, shall be bound by oath or affirmation, to support this Constitution; but no religious test shall ever be required as a qualification to any office or public trust under the United States.

Any complaints about birth certificates, selective service records, etc. were dismissed Friday night in a Federal Court.

[kjstjohn]

Apropos Item 10: You Repubs are even questioning whether Obama was born alive?

[ryancammer]

15. potty training schedule -- "not available"

16. first fight in school -- not listed

17. first kiss -- won't answer

18. first "terrorist fist jab" -- unavailable

19. restaurant of first date -- "doesn't remember"

20. wife's view on tattoos and piercings -- "won't answer"

21. ever muttered F word -- "likely"

[MadDog]

So?

[SisterSoul-08]

Quick! Does anyone have handcuffs??!!

[eMJayy]

LOL!

Hog-tie him this time...

[TiffanyHusseinBanned]

It doesn't seem very encouraging when the only female supporter willing to defend you is Elizabeth Hasselback.

[SurferKit]

EH's voice makes my dog whine. Seriously.

[RSU]

Doesn't seem fair that to counter one republican, it takes four Liberals.

Shouting down is the only way you guys can win in the arena of ideas.

History is your bane.

[SurferKit]

Whine. Whine. Whine.

And name-calling seems to be the only way you guys can discuss ANYTHING.

And history is something Republicans try to re-write.

[nomoreofthesame]

THe professional screamers, Sean InSanity and Billo, are perfectly capable of managing on their own.

[Coyote2]

we have had years of the Republicans doing the same to us, "Shouting down" anything that looked liberal; demonizing the very word -liberal-

Turnabout is fair play.

[Actionmac]

or the congress woman that appears on MSNBC with the mannequin hair and smile.

[williamg]

Palin throws McCain under the Straight talk express:


Ensuring that news of the Republican National Committee's sartorial spending spree will remain in the headlines for at least one more news cycle, Sarah Palin on Sunday sounded off on the $150,000 wardrobe that was purchased for her in September, denouncing the report as "ridiculous" and declaring emphatically: "Those clothes, they are not my property."

A senior adviser to John McCain told CNN's Dana Bash that the comments about her wardrobe "were not the remarks we sent to her plane this morning."

http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2008/10/26/palin-and-hasselbeck-blast-ridiculous-wardrobe-story/#more-26552

[abby4ever]

"...not the remarks we sent to her plane this morning."

If she has truly gone rogue, she will be slamming the plane door on the 'remarks' messenger from here on out. They will never be able to control her.

[DaOne]

Trivia Question

Which candidate on the ticket has not and will not be appearing on any Sunday morning talk shows before the election?

Hint. Probably not after the election either.

[borderorder]

As for the Republicans—how can one regard seriously a frightened, greedy, nostalgic huddle of tradesmen and lucky idlers who shut their eyes to history and science, steel their emotions against decent human sympathy, cling to sordid and provincial ideals exalting sheer acquisitiveness and condoning artificial hardship for the non-materially-shrewd, dwell smugly and sentimentally in a distorted dream-cosmos of outmoded phrases and principles and attitudes based on the bygone agricultural-handicraft world, and revel in (consciously or unconsciously) mendacious assumptions (such as the notion that real liberty is synonymous with the single detail of unrestricted economic license or that a rational planning of resource-distribution would contravene some vague and mystical 'American heritage'…) utterly contrary to fact and without the slightest foundation in human experience? Intellectually, the Republican idea deserves the tolerance and respect one gives to the d e a d.

H.P. Lovecraft - 1936

[WinstonSmith1984]

Keep in mind that in the days immediately before the 2006 congressional elections, Rove claimed that the Republicans would GAIN seats, not lose them.

I'm just saying this could be some weird Rove mind f---

Why, and to what purpose, I don't know. But I see Rove as being similar to one of those gang leaders or mob bosses, who, while locked up in prison are still calling the shots back on the streets. I won't believe it till November 5th and a landside Obama win that overwhelms the Republican voter purges and voting machine manipulation.

[RSU]

If it sparks those in those states to get out and vote because they are political toss ups then it's a wise move on his part to shore up the Republican base.

Dem's are as active as they can be and the only card left that is being played in the press is to depress the right into not voting by pushing poll data in their faces showing that the race is a foregone conclusion.

The problem you guys have is you are pinning all your hopes on the st up id vote and college kids . . . and both are notorious for failing to vote at crunch time.

[idontknowanything]

I'm going to work on a few limerick to post on Nov. 5.

[macbabe]

Ask AH to give us have a Limerick Thread...

[Tsk Tsk]

Ewwwww.....the rancid smell of roasting, mindlessly screeching Rethug shills, pundits and tr0lls. Now they turning on each other and their 'maverick' candidates....."Old McSame and the Wasilla Wackjob." Craven rats and despicable cowardly hypocrites to the end........blaming each other, blaming anyone else but themselves...........It's just wonderful to see and hear.

[yathink]

Why, exactly does anyone still ask this criminal anything? Hopefully, come January 21, he will be locked up where he belongs.

[mrsmdressup]

The only question he should be asked is "Who would you like to use your only phonecall on?"

[loonwalk]

Great reporting as usual.
123dee's comment on McC's 'own poll numbers' made me think he could have his 'own election numbers' and show up with moving van at White House in January.
Please help any Obama voters get out to vote.

[123dee]

How much do you think the email sent to pa voters will effect their votes
http://www.talkingpointsmemo.com/talk/blogs/astral66/2008/10/pennsylvania-gop-sends-then-di.php

[macbabe]

it might all backfire and turn PA Blue!!

[Actionmac]

Now they are fighting over who was responsible... but the bell has been rung and must be shown for what it is and place the responsibility on the republicans PERIOD

[mdmpo]

And he'll have his "real" inauguration in "real" America somewhere.

[lornejl]

I watched the CNN explain how the reported voting machines errors were all due to dumb hapless inept dems that can't put their finger on the millionth of an inch O part of the screen.

[williamg]

I worry more about Republicans who voted for Bush twice - like you.

Do you like the job Bush has done over the last 8 years?

[lornejl]

read my post again bill, there are some clues in it ; )

[suzycolorado]

lorne's on our side. he's dissing CNN i think.

[eMJayy]

He was actually being sarcastic there. The 'dumb hapless inept' comment was actually CNN's interpretation of the Dems who had a problem with the user-unfriendly nature of these problematic machines.

[acslaterson]

Why don't they have ATM style buttons instead of these s.t.u.p.i.d. touch screens?

[jeg]

Would require a vastly different interface, with multiple screens. From what I've heard, either the machines are grossly miscalibrated, or the screen is defaulting to Obama, and switching to McCain when you touch it.

Two hundred years since the Industrial Revolution, 60 years since the computer revolution, and we still can't make an idiot-proof voting machine.

I think the idiots are winning.

[MontanaHome]

CNN? Figures.

[NotMcCain]

I don't trust Rove for a second--and question why he singled out Ohio and Indiana--where Obama is WEAKEST right now. Eh, I just don't believe or trust this criminal.

HOWEVER, this -did- ring true about the McCain infighting, "It is a sign of undisciplined people who do not have the loyalty that they ought to have to the candidate whom they're serving."

He just neglected to say that the lack of discipline and loyalty apparently goes right to the top.

[CubanVoice]

I'm with you - initial reaction was that even this is a ploy.

[williamg]

DL Hughley's show last night will probably cost Obama a 1-2 points.

Ok, I'm exaggerating. But, his show last night God-awful. CNN needs to pull the plug on this disaster, immediately.

[mdmpo]

I want to watch out of curiosity now. Esp after Tiff said he was dumber than Palin. I cannot imagine...

[williamg]

It was painful.

[idontknowanything]

I trust Tiff.

[BabsfromKansas]

really - I was looking forward to it???

[williamg]

Me personally, I was offended by it. Having an actor immitate a P--i--m--p who repeatedly used words like "B--i--t--c--h" and "H--o--e" was not what I was expecting.

[mrsmdressup]

Agree...it made me uncomfortable.

[williamg]

I was embarrassed and ashamed

[acslaterson]

I don't know how he gets these show offers, he had one on Comedy Central that lasted for like 3 weeks.

[StillIRise]

I agree. I'm beginning to suspect that the Repubs are financing this show as another one of their political tactics!! Does he come on EVERY night??? I hope not!

[williamg]

Saturdays.

[Blain]

A little straight talk from Rove!~ hahahahahahahahahahahahahah

[southphillyitaliana]

They're working on a way to steal the election again. If that happens, i hope that Obama doesn't role over like Gore did in 2000. I hope he fights it all the way.

[MontanaHome]

No way, no way, no way, would Obama ever just roll over. The dude has a SPINE, which is what the Dems have been missing for years. He'll fight 'em every step of the way, if it comes to that.

[mdmpo]

Spine of Steel!

[BabsfromKansas]

He's one fine mofo !

[karmagirl1061]

He doesn't plan on it. I called the campaign office in my area and they reassured me. Believe me my blood pressure was going through the roof thinking about that.

[Chicago1968]

The people will pick up the cause. This time

[parrotkisser]

absolutely!

[cyndeewi]

I hope Obama does not roll over like Gore to. If he does the democrats have lost my vote. Somebody has to get some back bone.

[jeg]

Five thousand attorneys all working pro bono for Democrats in Florida on Nov. 4th. One thousand in Michigan. Thousands more across the country, ready to step up and defend voting rights.

The Republicans have angered the entire electorate, and they Will Not Win. Not this time.

[BarackstarObama]

Fear not, Obama's not rolling over for anyone... since he requested the special prosecutor to look into the GOP's nonsense about AC, I've hardly heard a peep about them. LOL

Obama/Biden 08