The Ghost of Karl Rove Haunting The Democrats

He hasn't really left, has he? No. He's still around haunting the halls of the White House and Congress infecting all of us with his uncanny propagandist skills. How can you tell? Nothing has changed. The Republicans are still defining the debates, capturing the arguments, framing the issues, and setting us up for war.

The latest trial balloon in the surreptitious Republican arsenal is RESPECT -- something Democrats supposedly lack. The Moveon.org ad was an inadvertent gift to the legacy of Karl Rove that keeps on giving. Since the patriotism argument was becoming too transparent, the respect back door leading to the same conclusions was crafted.

The Republicans have capitalized on the inability of the MSM to investigate issues and the American disinclination to read and think deeply. Combine against this backdrop an ends-justify-the-means mindset, gotcha sound bites, and a constantly famished MSM and the stage is set. The Rove disciples feed this beast only what it can easily digest and will come back for again and again.

"The architect," "boy genius," "master of the chess board" was better than most at seeing what was right before his eyes. He systematically altered the system by which the MSM get their information and left the WH with that program still intact. Get the Democrats on consistency, patriotism/respect, no plan, fear, tax increases and big spending -- again. It doesn't matter that GW put us in massive debt. It doesn't matter that the Bush tax cuts are for rich people or that Democrats are fighting in Afghanistan and Iraq, whether the current president went AWOL while in the National Guard, everyone else's kids are fighting the wars or that consistency is the "hobgoblin of little minds." Just keep swinging those same bats -- do it often and in the right places and the Democrats won't know what hit them. Sell the agenda on the right battlegrounds repeating the same messages. If they strike back, we'll call them "disrespectful." Gocha!!!

Democrats also still think good ideas sell themselves. They think losing the vote to give soldiers longer leave time allows people to see with no frame, no links made to callousness and lies and no repetition just how little Republicans care about the troops. THEY DON'T. When the President threatens to veto poor children's insurance coverage, the Democrats delude themselves into thinking people see the mean-spiritedness he and his party represent. THEY DON'T. You have to call the Republicans on their tactics, make clear links to their lies and liabilities, and then succinctly drive home your own arguments again and again. You have to get out in front of them instead of constantly chasing their wagon. Take hold of core-American-value issues. Never mind, "We can't do this because he'll veto" or "The Republicans will filibuster." Let them. Make them! Again and again! Systematically get the message out, nationally and locally, that Republicans are ruining what defines America.

Bob Herbert of the NYT wrote, "The G.O.P. has spent the last 40 years insulting, disenfranchising and otherwise stomping on the interests of black Americans." A list of major Republican presidential candidates won't even show up for a debate on minority issues -- what Herbert calls a "slap" to black Americans and former Oklahoma REPUBLICAN Representative J.C. Watts calls a "huge mistake." When do you suppose Democrats will notice and start saying something about that?

In medicine, not seeing what's right before your eyes is referred to as "inattentional blindness." It happens when a surgeon leaves a sponge in the patient even though he was looking right at it all during the procedure. He just doesn't register the obvious and so places the patient's life at risk. That's what's happening here. The Democrats aren't registering predictable strategies right before their eyes used on them over and over.

Karl Rove knows that when the opposition is blind and you're on a roll, you can leave the building with the doors unlocked. In fact, unless the Democrats open their eyes, Karl can go away forever because he left the keys to the kingdom in very safe place -- right on the front desk where he's confident the Democrats surely won't notice them.

Dr. Reardon is the author of It's All Politics, The Secret Handshake and The Skilled Negotiator.

Comments

[thicky]

Calling it 'inattentional blindness' is too kind.

Americans who were astute and aware of the slick rhetorical tactics of marketing and sales could see that the Gore campaign in 2000 was full of empty hot air reminiscent of Dewey's "rivers are full of fish" speeches, lacking an emotional connection to the voters. Thanks to the internet, by 2004 most Americans had heard or read about the marketing/propaganda tactics of Republicans(their rhetoric is mostly empty too but they know how to appeal to base human emotions, primarily fear[terrorism] sexual insecurities[gay marriage] and primitive tribalism[conservative/fundamentalist christianity]) and so it was doubly agonizing to watch an old war hero again spout empty rhetoric and unheroically back down to lies about his heroism in 2004.

In 2007 there is zero excuse for the Democrats to impotently ignore these Republican tactics and not expose them or use them themselves.

So if not 'inattentional blindness' then why have the Democrats surrendered to the Republicans?

Is it:
1)They are functionally retarded and no matter how many times it is explained or demonstrated to them they will never understand the most rudimentary concepts of marketing/propaganda.

2)They refuse to fight back:
because
a)the 'Patriot' security state has recorded sordid details of the Democrats' past and they are being blackmailed.
b)it really is a scam and the Democrats are partners with the Republicans with no intention of doing anything other than their preprogrammed role in this dance of propaganda.
c)they are a closed club, elitist at heart, and will not hire or even listen to anyone outside their small(corrupt) circle.
d)they are sniveling cowards
e)all of the above

[jhNY]

It's a rigged game. Rove is no genius. He's just the guy the press loves to imagine has dabolically cast his spell over them and then rejoiced in their powerlessness, kind of like Rumplestiltskin. If Carl wasn't a genius in their minds, then newsfolk everywhere would have to feel at least a bit dirty for being, with all too rare exception, stenographers of the corporate fascist state, but the checks don't bounce and with a kid in college, etc., etc.

The MSM is not "unable" to investigate or cover complexity. They just aren't paid to do that anymore. They're paid to pile on the enemies of the regime. And that's what they do.

[ReasonIsMyReligion]

The Republican -- and "Wussocrat" -- reaction to the MoveOn ad needs a FOLLOW-UP ad, citing the Surgin' Generals many factual tomfooleries.

Don't back down; crank it up.

But most of all, don't just take it on the chin and, dare I say, move on.

Fight the debate shifting from content to style. And yes, I know that's like pushing a rope.


*** TROOPS OUT or BUSH OUT ***

It's just that simple.

[ajax2]

The vote in the Senate was a warning shot to the majority of citizens who want to end the war in Iraq, pre-emptive wars, and the Imperial President. Bush can call up these Dems anytime he feels a need to kill.

[jhNY]

The democrats were all for fighting back against this whole creeping fascism thing until they found out they might get in trouble or a scolding or maybe an actual butt-whipping! With a real lickin' stick! Bare-bottom! Then they lined up like little soldiers and any day now the republicans and their president will really, really like them!

[Dem02020]

As evidence to how real and significant is the mood of the American People against Republicans in Congress, consider again the election results of 11-7-06, just less than 11 months ago:

The House swung from being Republican by 230 to 202 seats, to being Democratic by 233 seats to 202.
The Senate went from a 56 to 44 Republican advantage, to a 51 to 49 Democratic advantage.

And it's remarkable, that not a single incumbent Congressional Democrat was denied re-election in 2006 (a U.S. Historical first!), in addition to Republicans not capturing a single open seat nation-wide (another U.S. Historical first!); every single incumbent Congressperson who lost their seat in 2006 was a Republican!

And that includes 6 incumbent U.S. Senators having lost their seats in 2006, all Republicans!


You mention "inattentive blindness".

That's what current Congressional Democrats, or more specifically their leadership (and most specifically, the Senate leadership) are blind to: The overwhelming majority of the American People, disatisfied with George W. Bush and Congressional Republicans, and the greedy and deadly and National Security threatening occupation of Iraq, that they prolong.

That Senate leadership seems to be under some mistaken impression, that the sky will fall or the American People will revolt, or America will go undefended and our National Security will disappear, if Senate Democrats refuse to continue funding the occupation of Iraq.

The American People would love it!

They would love it if Senate Democrats would take this stand, on their behalf.
The sky will not fall.
National Security will not be affected.

Because there is no National Security concern to the American People in Iraq!

And this is yet another thing that Senate Democrats seem blind to, or are intimidated into not standing on and speaking out about:

There is no National Security concern to the American People in Iraq!

The American People know this, and is why they are so overwhelmingly opposed to the occupation of Iraq; which is why they turned out the former Congressional majority, in such a stunning reversal.

[mgloraine]

Rove didn't disappear, he just arranged to telecommute from his home in Texas. He figured (correctly) that he can do even more damage if he is off-camera and out of the limelight. People were starting to watch him too closely before he "resigned", but now everyone falls directly into his traps since they don't see his corpulent silhouette lurking around to warn them to watch their step.

The failure of Congressional Democrats to force the Republicans to filibuster or veto as they threaten is equivalent to taking ownership of BushCo policies. No one has seen the threatened vetos or filibusters occur, all we've seen is Democrats failing to follow through and pass or defeat any legislation under their own steam. If they don't put ownership of the obstructionism plainly in the laps of the Republicans, then they will be totally lacking credibility as an alternative in 2008. We may still be able to get a Dem into the White House, but that won't get us very far if the voters put Republican majorities back into both houses of Congress.

[realpolitic]

Bush dials up his rich friends for a cushy assignment in the National Guard, avoiding the jungles of Vietnam, and still doesn't complete his duty. Senator Kerry volunteers for 'Nam and is wounded three times. And the sad punchline is that the far right attacks Kerry's war record and gives Bush a pass. I guess it is Karl Rove's world and we are just living in it!

[realpolitic]

When Bush vetos a children's health care bill, Democrats must remind the public over and over again. Let the Republicans filibuster every bill to bring the troops home. Then people will clearly see how the fight is delineated. Democrats lack the slash-and -burn, end-justifies-the-means street fighting skills of the Republicans!

Too bad Republicans as so good at winning elections and PR battles, but govern so poorly.

[JeffDeVore]

"...Americans disinclination to read and think deeply..."
Just maybe, we deserve what we get. When you deteriorate into a bunch of shallow, self-centered, fundementalist, chest-beating yahoos you probably should be tossed onto the scrap heap of history.

[cautionbug]

Hear hear!

[JoAnnCr]

Don't underestimate Clinton's Rovian skill. After dodging the lobbyist donation challenge by John Edwards, she hosts a fundraiser inviting lobbyists to come for lunch and have a breakout session with heads of Congressional committees the lobbyist wants to influence.

Meanwhile, what do you hear about John Edwards or his extraordinary plans, foresight, toughness and decency? Nothing unless you count baseless Rovian attacks that have no bearing on substance.

True, the Congressional Democrats don't know what has hit them but there's one Democrat who does and who has put her lessons to good use for personal gain. She'd relish taking over the reigns of the Bush monarchy. Power is addictive.

[Democrab]

Keeping in mind that evil lives on after it's removed, the real "axis of evil," Bush, Cheney and Rove are still running the show and will be for another year and more.

But there is and end in sight, and it's beginning to look like even though Rove's tactics will remain with the right, there won't be enough of them around, thanks to him, to effectively implement them.

They're going to get their asses kicked in 2008, and no-ones going to stop that.

[cautionbug]

Except Congressional Democrats cocking up everything they do, making the party look like a bunch of ...well, Asses. The Republicans seem perfectly content to let Democrats keep doing what they're doing. They hardly have to lift a finger, and as public opinion of Congress falls, so increase the chances of another Republican president.

[NoContest]

Yes, I see the trail of Rove aftershocks.

But really, don't we know that he was actually promoted, from stage actor to behind the scenes Director. To think that 'Lee Atwater' clone, that reptilian destroyer of reputations and Democratic institutions has retired to pasture, like a used up Rumsfield, would be extremely naive. (Which of course, Democrats are). But that's another story.