Rove Criticizes White House Response To Elections: "A Contemptuous Gesture"

Karl Rove wasn't too happy about the way the White House dismissed the Most Important Off-Off-Year Elections In United States History, and amid a weird counterfactual analysis in which he reverse-extrapolated a few races in three states and applied them to the 2008 election results, he let Fox News viewers know it, saying:

ROVE: Actually, it was almost contemptuous of the process. And who's kidding themselves? I've been inside the West Wing. Every president on every election night is watching the returns. And so, [White House Press Secretary Robert] Gibbs, by going out there and saying, 'Well, it may have mattered to the American people and the people in Pennsylvania and Virginia and New Jersey, but it didn't matter to President Obama,' left a...well it was tone deaf. It would have been better if the president's spokesman had gone out there and said, 'We got the message, we understand the concerns of Americans and we're going to work to assuage their concerns. And instead it was a dismissive and I thought it was almost a contemptuous gesture.

WATCH:

Oh, well, then! Let's take a trip back to the year 2007, where we'll find Rove being dismissive, and -- I guess? -- contemptuous!

Rove downplayed the significance of the 2006 elections, where the Republicans lost both the House and Senate. He cited Republicans' corruption scandals and excessive federal spending and earmarks.

He said it was a "normal off-year election" and had little to do with the unpopularity of President Bush and then-GOP majority Congress.

"If you look at the sweep of American history, the White House party has lost an average of 28 seats in the House and five in the Senate. We lost 30 in the House and six in the Senate," Rove said on Fox. "We lost. There's no doubt about it, but it was a close loss."

So, if and when that sweep of American history returns to reduce Democratic congressional majorities in 2010, will it be "contemptuous" to dismiss it, or will it merely be "Rovian?" And is there really a lot of daylight between those two terms?

[Would you like to follow me on Twitter? Because why not? Also, please send tips to [e-mail] -- learn more about our media monitoring project here.]

Comments

[jeanwny]

Karl Rove understands contempt as does the VP he served under.

[Alexandre Laudet]

isn't what's good for the goose good for the gander. Rove 'downplayed the results of the 2006 elections' because the rep did not do well, did he really expect the current WH to linger on elections results that went counter to their interests?

[hwoodude]

Ahh...yes...how grateful we all are to have Karl Rove, the skilled American prop upper of the great decider - George Bush - to explain the inadequacies of the poor stupid elected folks presently in the White House! But hey pilgrims, the subject of "contempuous gestures" is one Rover boy is well schooled in so perhaps we can learn something from this man who is well schooled in puppet stringing inept "leaders." So...if anyone can offer just exactly WHA T it is that can be learned, kindly send a comment in, OK?

[shel3364]

The Governor's races??

Ummm. Hasn't it gone this way since the 80's? They vote opposite of who's in the WH?

I don't see where its a big deal. They won the state elections, Dems won the congressional seat.

[dancingsarah]

Obama seems to think the election results have nothing to do with him. So what if people think the deficit is too big and the spending is out of control and more than half the country is terrified of the government taking over our healthcare. He believes with a smile and a speech we will accept all his ciuntry destroying ideas.

[Phxflyer]

Gulping the kool aide I see.

Exit polls showed that 60 percent of voters in both states said the President and his policies had no effect on how they voted.

Further, you seem to ignore the fact that the democrats gained two seats in congress, one of which has been in republican hands for more than 100 years. You also ignore the past 50 years or more of history in which both New Jersey and Virginia have elected governors of the opposite party following a presidential election.

Finally, every survey indicates that a majority of Americans support changes to our healthcare system, including a robust public option.

And, please, given what happened during the Bush administration, cons like you have zero credibility talking about deficits.

[ChiGuy]

This can't possibly come as a surprise to anyone.
The hypocrisy of right-wingers knows no bounds.

[mudbones]

Why do we still listen to this guy?

[FirstShirt]

I'm sure the people of Virginia and New Jersey appreciated being dissed by the White House. They got elected so now they don't care. I guess that message got out. And if they don't change their attitude it will be the same thing in 2010.

[kareemachan]

I heard no dissing. If you think that by saying that an off-year election isn't that important is the same as dissing a whole state, well, you have micron-thin skin, dearie.

[TaxDayMan]

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/33650641/ns/politics-washington_post

Its seems MSNBC, the Washington Post, and Congressional Democrats didn't get the memo that Tuesday wasn't important to Democrats?

[Ramirez]

Karl Rove is a political intellectual and one of the most accomplished political strategists in recent history. The White House would be well-served to respect his brilliance and heed his words.

Did anyone really believe the WH statement that the POTUS did not watch the election returns? Of course not.

Telling obvious petty falsehoods like that only make you look weak.

[oldngrumpy]

Rove is likely the most contemptuous political hack in the history of politics. His perception of the "truth" is not obtained from personal experience, so I wouldn't place a lot of credence in his statement.

Why should Obama stay glued to a TV, listening to know-nothing talking heads for a whole night when he can get updates as he wishes? How many cable connections do you suppose the White House has?

In answer to your question, yes I, for one, believe that President Obama may not have watched the election for every minute. Your assumption that no one believes our President, or his staff, is telling of your cognitive ability and the assumption that what you say means anything to anyone here displays you inflated ego. Go away.

[Crass Innuendo]

Shut up, Karl, and have another Happy Meal.

[dotbed1]

AMEN..........

[ICU1225]

Wait! Cheney was asked about the war in Iraq and soldiers dying and he said, "So". To Republicans it is only about elections?

[OldBro70]

In a previous post I neglected to mention among Karl Rove many titles was"The Architect"

It appears that house did not stand up to his plans after 8 years.

Let the architect who plan such a shoddy house be call into question and revoke his architect license.

Oh it appears that it did happen on November 4th 2008.

[OldBro70]

Or hiking up north and discovering Argentina.

[SickStan]

He looks like Mason Verger in Hannibal

[LMarley]

Pretty funny, Rove accusing someone else of contempt.

[GirlOutWest]

Karl Rove is contemptuous. Isn't he the guy that took votes out of state to be counted, refuses to answer questions in Congressional hearings, had a personal vendetta and lied about Don Seigleman of Alabama? Talk about contemptuous!

[alenaspoppa]

He's contemptible too.