Posted on 03/21/2011 4:57:50 AM PDT by Kaslin
The prospective GOP candidates are behaving like Ruling Class. Did they learn anything from 2010?
The inestimable Karl Rove (inestimable, in that conservatives either wish to buy him a scotch or label him Ruling Class, dependent on whatever he last said to Bret Baier) published a WSJ op-ed on March 17 claiming “The GOP Race is Underway.” Don’t worry, the piece sums: the failure of anyone to step ahead in the 2012 GOP race is tactical. Mitch “Mitt” Huckaromney is busy analyzing, outreaching, and sweater-testing and any day now he’ll reveal himself as the George Washington you’ve been asking for since Rick Santelli’s rant.
This being the most recent thing I’ve heard from Rove, I’m definitely calling him Ruling Class, at least until his next awesome tweet.
The presidential race, a Rove expertise, is different from a congressional contest, as I have been taught since enrolling in Intro to American Politics as a college freshman: appeal to the base — but not too intensely — for the nomination; appeal to the centrists and independents for the General.
But this is not common sense, it is “the science is settled.”
If you’ve lived 30 years, maybe 25, you’ve seen enough politics to understand that career advisors simply have no idea how to win a campaign; they (Bob Shrum) often lose (Bob Shrum). Yet Introduction to Logic — which I should have been well-advised to take instead — presents that even a great advisory won/loss record does not imply talent: it is simply a statistic, we cannot prove the advisor’s relevance to the win.
What the political class advisors are able to do is retain an encyclopedic knowledge of what happened, and attempt to draw on that base of knowledge for the current client.
This is, logically, a dart throw.
Perhaps it’s even a case of convincing the politician that such an advisor is necessary, for the sake of said advisor’s continued employment. Because we all know America — we are its citizens — and we know what drives us to hair loss about politics, and we know the best advice a candidate can get, always:
Tell the public where you stand, over and over again, until they are aware.
If that doesn’t put you ahead, pack it in. The public doesn’t agree with you.
The day-to-day news cycle doesn’t matter, and if you’re convinced it does, do some overhead squats to stabilize your spine.
Yet too much of that advice and soon enough the candidate remembers it on his own and James Carville’s doing voiceover work, so let’s resume selecting excellent neckties.
Appealing to the base for the nomination? You’d better already be the base. Move to the center, following? No, your challenge is to convince the center why the center is stupid.
The left must play a different game. The Democratic base is closer to the center than the far left, and the center is a group of people who actually do change their minds with daily news cycles, because that’s what relativism is. Perhaps the left’s tacticians have influenced/misled those on the right: the leftist candidate must feign middle and must have that relativistic dearth of integrity to do so; but the GOP candidate must be conservative and remain that way, as position integrity/objectivity is kinda what makes a conservative.
Mr. Rove: the reason there is no frontrunner right now is that everyone is following Rovian strategy and is sending out feelers, which sounds disgusting. Nobody — excepting the GOP candidates wondering why they aren’t polling well — read your op-ed and felt relieved.
The self-evident truth regarding running as a conservative — an identity which overwhelmingly comprises America’s biggest voting bloc — is that conservatives do not care who wins the GOP nomination. They are happy; they are self-sufficient and will fight on their own. If the party gets onboard with the base, good for the party, but the base is aboard with the Constitution first and the GOP second or never.
This has been evident since the Founders; this was demonstrated truth during the 2010 elections. How can you not know this yet?
We want statesmen, not Miramax thugging around for Best Picture. We truly don’t concern ourselves with who you are, your face, your alliances, what state you were raised in. We don’t care about your name. Seriously — don’t even tell us your name. We want John Doe, the vessel of Constitutional originalism, who understands natural rights are the way of nature and not the Founders’ trendy theory, and that natural rights are most threatened now by a weak border, Islamism and Communism, and — above all — the biggest government to ever exist, and that’s what he’s going to spend the next four years working on, and eight if we so honor him.
We’re begging for truth, not Rovian theory. Be American, or keep diddling and lose the West.
Rove: Don’t Worry, 2012 GOP Candidates Busy with Strategy. Country: Duh — That’s Why We’re Worried
After his behavior in 2010, the fact that he’s still around for the 2012 election is extremely depressing. I blame Fox News. They continued to give him a microphone when he deserved a slow fade into obscurity.
They plan on opening the grand strategy and going firmly, totally, and completely on the offensive on "D" (for "D-feat D-ems") Day: February 1, 2013!!!
That'll show 'em!
Until that very day, it's all very "hush hush" dontchaknow!
Um. Conservative 40%. Moderate 40%, Liberal 20%
The reason why Democrats have to appeal to the center is because the Liberal base is not large enough. Conservatives only need 11% Moderates, while Liberals need 31% Moderates
Rove had his moment in time. It has passed.
Karl Rove, the man most responsible for destroying the Republican brand (circa 2006-2008), now wants to pick and choose who our nominee for ‘12.
Will the Bushies please retire already.
Too bad no one told Fox News and Hannity.
Rove did himslelf in during the last election by his conduct in Delaware. He will not go quietly into the dark. Will someone please push him?
Rove apparently dislikes change.He is very passee.
That would be circa 2006-2010.
What an indelible backstabber Rove turned out to be
during that time --- against GOP conservative candidates.
"Rove has made no secret
of his support for Romney as McCain's VP. "
Rove did himslelf in during the last election by his conduct in Delaware.
I just can’t believe he has that much power. I mean people must be absolutely stupid if they can’t make up their mind themselves as to who should represent Delaware. His one sentence ended up being the reason that the Republican Candidate lost.....that is 100 percent sad. People should decide for themselves and not somebody else.
And they'll fool most FReepers most of the time. Just play on the "Do you want 4 more years of Obama?" angle and neglect to mention the GOP in the house is a pack of wimps that won't play hardball. FReepers filled with fear will be lining up to vote for the anointed RINO candidate.
Like that old Simpsons episode where the aliens control both candidates like marionettes. "What are you going to do? It's a two-party system."
Never underestimate the power of the status quo and never underestimate the ability of people too timid to step outside the status quo to rationalize their timidity.
Herman Cain seems to be the only one to come out swinging so far.
FReepers filled with fear will be lining up to vote for the anointed RINO candidate.
Well of course because it is the most important election in history don’t you know....lol. I have heard that said about 2012 already from quite a few FREEPERS.....I thought it was 2010 and than 2008 and then 2006....I believe we hear this every election.
Herman Cain is associated with the Federal Reserve. Unless he repudiates them and starts calling for a full audit or an end to the Fed, he’s probably their proposed dark horse “outsider”.
Never trust a bankster. They are the reason we have the economic mess we have today.
There is a front runner, she gave a wonderful speech in India over the weekend.
Rove and the "king-makers" don't want Sarah and so they either denigrate her or just ignore her and pretend that she doesn't exist or matter.
Over 1,500 people paid $ 2,500 per head to listen to Sarah speak.
There was some pablum but well given and the Q & A session was excellent.
She gave good crisp answers and this speech will either be cherry picked by the msm or completely ignored.
Sarah is visiting Bibi in Israel on her return.
If she decides to run, she goes to the top of the group by 30 points.
I get an uneasy feeling that the Republican elite (country-club set) have already conceded 2012 to the Dems, thinking that the GOP will keep the House and gain the Senate; thus, setting the agenda for the next 4 years, anyway.
Most of the top tier and the 2nd tier potential GOP nominees are just not going to win against Obama. A slight improvement in the economy, in job numbers, perceived inflation kept down, and Obama wins. Especially if the GOP nominee is Gingrich or Romney or Barbour or Huckabee. McCain lost by 2-to-1 Electoral votes. The GOP nominee has to overcome that and most of the retreads can’t.
LLS
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