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How Karl Rove went from GOP mastermind to the right's political punching bag
The Week ^ | 12/24/13 | Jon Terbush

Posted on 12/25/2013 5:54:41 PM PST by jimbo123

A decade ago, Karl Rove was President George W. Bush's right-hand man and one of the most powerful political figures in America. And even after his fortunes briefly dipped at the end of the Bush era, Rove roared to life again, tapping into and fueling the Tea Party movement through his massive super PAC, American Crossroads.

But today, with a GOP civil war raging between establishment types and upstart conservatives in the mold of Texas Sen. Ted Cruz (R), Rove's once-strong influence has begun to wane. An embodiment of the Bush-era Republicans who have fallen out of favor of late, Rove, too, has begun to come under fire from the populist right.

In the latest sign of Rove's diminished standing, a dozen super PACs are challenging his American Crossroads in the GOP money game, and aiming to promote their own preferred candidates in races across the country, according to the New York Times.

"Certainly I think there's a level of frustration with the state of things in D.C.," Randy Cubriel, a Texas lobbyist, told the Times. See if you can read between the lines here: "I think a group like ours, coming from the state, is probably a little more effective than some of the national groups."

Crossroads was widely criticized for not producing more victories in 2012 despite spending some $300 million. The group had dismal 16.7 percent success rate in the last election, according to OpenSecrets.

(Excerpt) Read more at theweek.com ...


TOPICS: News/Current Events; Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: defundkarlrove; defundthegope; defundthernc; gope; karlrove; rino; rnc; tokyorove; vichyrepublicans
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To: Timber Rattler

Rove has anger issues when it comes to women.


21 posted on 12/25/2013 6:40:23 PM PST by jimbo123
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To: jimbo123

Pretty much agree with all that’s been written here. For me, the 1st tripwire Rove broke was when he gave the finger to the R2KABA/ 2nd Amendment crowd during POTUS #43 GWB’s 1st term. The 2nd tripwire was in 2005 when he made the claim that the future of the GOP depended upon bringing in “traditional value” Hispanics, including illegal aliens, under the GOP tent. The scales were removed from eyes at that point - I was through with him and Bush.


22 posted on 12/25/2013 6:43:43 PM PST by MacNaughton
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To: Cicero
But after he won his second election, he pretty much abandoned his base. About the only thing he stood fast on was the right to life and traditional marriage, for which he deserves some credit.

At the outset of his second term, GWB also stood for privatization of social security -- a highly conservative stance for which he definitely deserves credit.

However, his own party melted before the onslaught of the media and the Democrats...and that was the beginning of the end.

23 posted on 12/25/2013 6:44:13 PM PST by okie01 (The Mainstream Media: Ignorance On Parade)
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To: jimbo123

He never was one of us. He is a sellout.


24 posted on 12/25/2013 6:51:09 PM PST by freekitty (Give me back my conservative vote; then find me a real conservative to vote for)
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To: jimbo123
Rove has anger issues when it comes to women.

nonsense....and I Like him!!!

25 posted on 12/25/2013 6:57:20 PM PST by terycarl (common sense prevails over all)
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To: jimbo123

After a stint in DC, everyone succumbs to power hunger and starts to believe the beltway way. Rove displays that to a tee.


26 posted on 12/25/2013 7:00:06 PM PST by griswold3 (Post-Christian America is living on borrowed moral heritage)
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To: advertising guy

I agree. Can you see him going out for a walk in public and not being in the knock-out game by a conservative who is just PO’ed with him?


27 posted on 12/25/2013 7:03:47 PM PST by MtnClimber (Lets turn back the clock and leave j@ck@ss mccain in vietnam, seemingly his utopia)
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To: jimbo123

I had a lot of patience for him until he took his potshots at Palin, the tea party, and some of the conservative candidates. And failed to support some of the conservatives who needed some support at the time.

Now I see him as an opportunist.


28 posted on 12/25/2013 7:23:53 PM PST by marron
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To: jimbo123

“...Rove roared to life again, tapping into and fueling the Tea Party movement through his massive super PAC, American Crossroads.”

LOL. That ol’ tea partier Karl Rove. He fueled the whole thing himself.


29 posted on 12/25/2013 7:29:59 PM PST by ModelBreaker
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To: marron

Rove, punk ass bitch. Mouth breather who has not really done much of anything since Georgie has been out. Very low winning percentage ove the last few elections.


30 posted on 12/25/2013 7:37:13 PM PST by Busko (The only thing that is certain is that nothing is certain.)
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To: advertising guy

.......just don’t do it in Travis County where “liberals” prevail in every office and particularly the sheriff who runs the jail.

LOL, I will lure Karl next door to Burnet County and you can punch him out there! They would probably give you a reward that would cover your bail money! Or, more likely, the Sheriff would just conclude Karl had a few too many and fell on the sidewalk hitting his head.

Around here, Karl is seen as the poster boy for what’s wrong with the Republican Party.


31 posted on 12/25/2013 7:37:28 PM PST by Cen-Tejas (it's the debt bomb stupid!)
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To: marron
Now I see him as an opportunist.

I've come to see Rove as a "moderate opportunist", myself.

Without any ideology or core principles, he's clearly a moderate -- not a liberal. And, like any opportunist, he is in favor of whatever can improve his station -- financially or status-wise.

A disgusting little man...

32 posted on 12/25/2013 7:37:59 PM PST by okie01 (The Mainstream Media: Ignorance On Parade)
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To: marron

He favored rhinos who lost primaries over conservative candidates.


33 posted on 12/25/2013 7:38:08 PM PST by Rides_A_Red_Horse (Why do you need a fire extinguisher when you can call the fire department?)
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To: okie01
Without any ideology or core principles

Thank you. Nailed it.

34 posted on 12/25/2013 7:40:35 PM PST by marron
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To: jimbo123

I don’t refer to him as any kind of bag. He’s more of a sack....


35 posted on 12/25/2013 7:42:04 PM PST by chickenlips (Karl Rove: The Donut Whisperer)
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To: jimbo123
JMO, but the man behind Rove is the same man that's been behind the Bush family all along.


36 posted on 12/25/2013 7:42:41 PM PST by Bratch
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To: Bratch

James Nicholson???


37 posted on 12/25/2013 7:54:06 PM PST by freepersup (Patrolling the waters off Free Republic one dhow at a time.)
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To: jimbo123

My beef with Rove, apart FRom his GOPe liberalism, is that he refused to back Republicans who won Primaries against his “anointed” candidates.

Mr. Rove, If you are a Republican, you are obliged to support ALL Republican candidates, even if they are not your first choice.

You could have helped us retire Dingy Harry Reid a few years ago, but your childish and petulant behavior when your candidate did not win the Primary cost us that seat!

How has Harry Reid worked for you since then?

Not to mention Delaware, and there are probably others I cannot recall right now.

When the voters decide who they want to run against a Democrat, you should go “all in” and support them.

The idea is for conservative Republicans to displace LIEberal Democrats!

Nothing else matters!


38 posted on 12/25/2013 7:55:10 PM PST by Taxman (So that the beautiful pressure does not diminish!)
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To: neverdem; narses; SunkenCiv; Nachum; sickoflibs

Hmmn.

Very near-loss in 2000.
Losses in 2002, 2004 - Particularly bad in the Senate!
Lost the Senate AND House in 2006.
Lost Senate, House, and Presidency in 2008.
Gained the House in 2010 - but despite the opposition of “mainstream” Repubbie leadership - including and most notably Rowe. Instrumental in losing several close Senate seats when conservative (non-GROPE!) newcomers won their primaries!
Lost the presidency to the single worst candidate’s record ever! in 2012. Lost more Senate seats!

Yeah - Right. Sure. Of course!

Does four “yes” votes mean a negative for Rowe’s conventional “wisdom” ??


39 posted on 12/25/2013 7:57:46 PM PST by Robert A Cook PE (I can only donate monthly, but socialists' ABBCNNBCBS continue to lie every day!)
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To: Taxman

Establishment types... started to comment. Waste of time.


40 posted on 12/25/2013 8:00:57 PM PST by freepersup (Patrolling the waters off Free Republic one dhow at a time.)
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