Karl Rove Reacts To Obama Win: "A Great Symbol Of What America's All About," Obama Still Has "Big Hurdle To Climb"

Karl Rove reacted to Barack Obama's win Tuesday night on Fox News, saying "every American ought to celebrate tonight."

"It is a hopeful and optimistic thing for our country, and for the world it's a great symbol of what America's all about," Rove said, urging all Americans to hope and pray for Obama's success.

Rove's comments did center on race, and the post-racial America Obama inherits as President. He also claimed that "we've had an African American first family for many years," citing the Cosby Show as one example.

"He is young, he is aspirational, and Americans have invested a lot in him, but they still have doubts," Rove said. "He's got a big hurdle to climb."

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Comments

[PATina]

Uh... Karl... the Cosby family was NOT A REAL FAMILY !!!! It was merely a cast of actors scripted to portray a family. Geesh... there may have even been a little merit to this if one of the parents were cast as a President... but a mere doctor and lawyer don't make it a FIRST family.

[Aegis72]

I think his point (and yes, just because it came from the Puppetmaster doesn't mean he cannot have one) is that fictional accounts can be an excellent bellwether of public opinions and changing social status based upon their success.

The Huxtables, while not a real family, showed the sea-change in the ocean of American opportunity by portraying a black family as a well-adjusted, successful, and desirable ideal. Contrast this with movies and TV of the 60's and 70's (Sanford and Son et al) where black roles were in the margins, or caricatures of real people. That the Cosby Show was such an amazing success showed that a significant portion of the US was willing to accept that ideal as something real.

Programs like "The Cosby Show" helped shape a generation of white America's mental picture of what blacks were always capable of achieving. Rather than being a clown or a servant or a thug, they could also be doctors and lawyers with affluent, stable families. I think that is what Rove might have been saying with his admittedly too-short comment.

Remember, a person can be the epitome of misguided but still have valid points. I think that is the case here.

[kathy001]

You make some good points but I'm not attributing any of them to Rove's comment. His was conescension and sucking up, that's all. He's just an a$$.

[elle11]

Rovespeak

[wagthedog1001]

Master of the metaphor - Hurdle to CLIMB?

[LAR1969]

Ha! No wonder George Bush never made much sense - Rove was feeding him faulty metaphors.

[doctorcastille]

Hey Karl - Now would be an excellent time for you to just SHUT THE F**** UP !!!

[Jellyfisheater]

LOL

Completely off point but your phrase reminded me of RainMan:
"of course, I'm an excellent driver"

Anyway back on topic: WELL DONE AMERICA

[LAR1969]

Ten minutes to Wapner

[BPCentrisAmerican]

Karl is that the same America you helped turn into a warmongering, one party authoritarian neo-con dictatorship with no domestic agenda for it's own citizens. that America.

[westreal]

I get what he's trying to say but being that it's coming from him it carry's a very racist undertone.

[AlexNYC]

Everything that comes out of Rove's mouth has some divisive undertone. The ugly politics of Rove which divided a nation is finally over and the time for the nation to heal and move forward has arrived.

[Hillrick]

Obama's accomplishments only seem fantastic when you contrast them with the activities of scrum like Rove, something else made possible by the freedom we have here.

[Scarlet]

"A great symbol..."

Yes, Karl. The very antithesis of you.

[elle11]

VERY well put!

[Jellyfisheater]

You can tell us all about how it's a great night for America - from your jail cell.

Until you're in your rightful home, I don't want to listen to you.

[foxencanyon]

Karl,
put a cork in it.

[apduncan1]

Karl,

That speech is not going to keep you away from the slammer. You are a brownnoser now... won't work.

[haval2]

karil...go away.

[hmmmmmer]

When Rove (spawn of hell) compared Obama's family to Bill Cosby's tv family I thought I would roll out of my chair laughing. What a tool.

[doublels]

His stupid way of being "hip" and appear non-racist. Said it before & I'll say it again...WHO CARES what Rove thinks? And add "Joe the plumber", Elizabeth H & Tom DeLay to that. Media--stop giving these people cred.

[jazzdad51]

As we have had the rare opportunity of witnessing the beginning of justice, we anxiously await the coming verdict of the bush regime. I'll hold my celebration until I see them behind bars.

[BuckeyeGal]

. . . Karl, you're still here?
In the words of Tracy Ullman --
"Go home!"

[JScott]

better yet go to hell