I think this whole rove rating nonsense did the gop no good.
He's one man.
I don't doubt he is a clever and successful 'bastard', but how much can you really pin solely on him? America is an enormous country, with thousands of individual campaigns managed and orchestrated by thousands of different people, not one man by the presidents side.
The gop in 00 and 04 knew how to motivate the base by selection a few issues and pounding them.
The WOT?
What strategist wouldn't have used it? How could the GOP have ever lost on it back then?
Gay marriage etc?
How else are you going to motivate the base?
As much I rate people like hannity, he can't stop bigging the guy up. It gets tiresome.
Rove is not a popular figure, in fact most people associate people with extremely dirty campaigning. He added to the negative image of the GOP.
I don't believe he is the source of either republican victories or defeat.
At the end of the day, sometimes no matter what you do your going to win, and sadly for us, at this sort of time there isn't much you can do to stop a defeat.
You're right.