Karl Rove’s Crossroads PAC Is No Longer G.O.P.’s ‘Big Dog’

New York Times ^ | 05/22/2015 | ERIC LICHTBLAU and MAGGIE HABERMAN

[SeekAndFind]

For three election cycles, American Crossroads, the brainchild of Karl Rove and other leading Republican strategists, has been among the most powerful forces in national politics, a shadow party that has spent hundreds of millions of dollars on advertising, data and opposition research to help elect candidates.

But in the early days of the 2016 presidential campaign, Crossroads — among the first outside groups to fully exploit the Supreme Court’s Citizens United decision unleashing wealthy donors and corporations — has been buffeted by a rapidly changing political landscape that is testing its pre-eminence, and potentially its survival.

The nonprofit arm of Crossroads is facing an Internal Revenue Service review that could eviscerate its fund-raising. Data projects nurtured by Mr. Rove are being supplanted in Republican circles by a more successful initiative funded by the Koch political network, which has leapfrogged the Crossroads organizations in size and reach.

And the group faces intense competition for donors from a new wave of “super PACs” that are being set up by backers of the leading Republican candidates for president, who are unwilling to defer to Mr. Rove’s authority or cede strategic and fund-raising dominance to the organizations he helped start.

In recent weeks, Crossroads has begun carving a niche for itself in attacking Hillary Rodham Clinton, the presumed Democratic front-runner. The group will use polling data and opposition research to paint her as “a typical politician who would say or do anything to get elected,” said Steven Law, president of Crossroads.

If the group’s role seems diminished, Crossroads officials are not complaining publicly. If anything, they are lowering expectations for an organization that raised $300 million in the 2012 cycle.

[Bratch]

Question. Are the Rove and Koch interests that different?

Seems to me this is just “Meet the new boss, same as the old boss” type of thing.

[Cowboy Bob]

In recent weeks, Crossroads has begun carving a niche for itself in attacking Hillary Rodham Clinton, the presumed Democratic front-runner.

While it's good that they hammer, they should also attach any Democrat candidate that stick's their head up. They should be going after Warren, Sanders, O'Malley and the Castro Brothers.

[SharpRightTurn]

Bite the dust, Rove, you Establishment/Anti-Tea Party jerk.

[Steve_Seattle]

"a shadow party"

This is not a defense of Rove, but has the New York Times EVER described any Democratic PAC as a "shadow" group? Have they EVER suggested that any Democratic fundraising effort is somehow sinister and/or un-American?

[Steve_Seattle]

"Bite the dust, Rove, you Establishment/Anti-Tea Party jerk."

Don't be a fool; the NYT is trying to demonize ANY Republican fundraising efforts. Do you seriously believe that the NYT is trying to defend the interests of Tea Party conservatives?

[MrEdd]

So what?
Sometimes the enemy of my enemy is merely my other enemy.
If either or both are taken down it’s all good because they will attack me together rather than fight amongst themselves most of the time. If there is a brief moment when they savage each other then it would be good if one is eliminated entirely.

I am glad we had this little chat.
If you comprehended it at all you will now know where social conservatives stand.

Don’t defend Tokyo Rove and expect to be applauded.

[Steve_Seattle]

"So what?"

Because after they've eliminated the guys you don't like, they'll come after the guys you DO like, with the same sleaze. My point is that if you accept this crap directed at the other guys, you are making it that much easier for them to do it to YOUR guy. And what makes you think they won't?

[Steve_Seattle]

"Don’t defend Tokyo Rove and expect to be applauded."

By the way, if you think my post was primarily intended as a defense of Rove, you completely missed the point.

[T Ruth]

nyt = disinformation, lies, and propaganda.

[MrEdd]

At what point were they ever not in the process of not going after the people I do like?

Answer: Never.

So if they fight each other I am hoping it’s lethal and one wins decisively.

[MrEdd]

Primarily doesn’t enter into it.
Rove is a liberal aiming for control of the Republican Party and I will oppose even secondary or tertiary defense of him.

He isn’t even a little bit okay.

[freedomfiter2]

Yes, and you’ll have 1 fewer enemy. Rove is more of a danger to conservatives than any Democrat can ever hope to be.

[minnesota_bound]

Didn’t he lose 98% of the elections the last time?
Where did the money go? His account?

[Lurkinanloomin]

+1

[Republican Wildcat]

It doesn’t matter - if you merely try to make an analytical point or point out that something is very much not factual, you are “defending” or “allying” yourself with the person that is the subject of the discussion. Factual information or merely putting out an idea for analysis is not of interest to a few around here and you will be shouted down and demeaned for doing so.

[Republican Wildcat]

Run on some very generic, weak ads, in most cases. some of them were good, but not many...way too general and boilerplate for the most part.