Posted on 02/17/2005 11:30:42 AM PST by Tarpaulin
WASHINGTON - Karl Rove, President Bush (news - web sites)'s top political strategist, on Thursday pronounced conservatism the "dominant political creed in America" and coached fellow conservatives on how to support his boss.
"The next time one of your smarty-pants liberal friends says to you, `Well, he didn't have a mandate,' you tell him of this delicious fact: This president got a higher percentage of the vote than any Democratic candidate for president since 1964," Rove said.
In 2004, Bush was re-elected with about 51 percent of the vote. In 1976, Jimmy Carter received just over 50 percent and in the two times Bill Clinton (news - web sites) was elected, he received under 50 percent of the vote; Independent Ross Perot (news - web sites) was on the ballot both times.
Bush is the first president since Franklin Roosevelt to be re-elected while his party gained seats in the House and Senate, Rove continued. But he also cautioned his conservative supporters that they must not become complacent with the 2004 victory.
"Republicans cannot grow tired or timid," he said.
Rove told a gathering at the Conservative Political Action Conference that Bush is committed to the members' ideas of fostering morality and values, including protecting the culture of life for every human person — a goal that generated applause from the crowd at the Ronald Reagan (news - web sites) Building and International Trade Center.
"Conservatism is the dominant political creed in America," Rove said, adding that more needed to be done.
He also said the administration was committed to spreading democracy across the Middle East and reforming and modernizing Social Security (news - web sites), health care, public education and the tax code.
"Those who oppose this agenda are in a difficult position," Rove said. "They're attempting to block reforms to systems that almost every serious-minded person concedes need reform. ... That's not a good place to be in American politics."
Rove was introduced by Wayne LaPierre, chief executive of the National Rifle Association, who said Rove — recently given the extra title of deputy chief of staff — was a fan of a former President William McKinley's political guru. Rove said he wasn't a fan of his McKinley counterpart, but of McKinley himself because he was in charge.
"The president reminds me of that all the time," Rove joked.
Exactly!
And there were NO screams for bipartisanship then, no talk of a divided country.
Karl Rove knew how to capatilize on the move to the right. He found the way to tap into this and produce votes - most people in this nation are conservative leaning he actually got them to the voting booths. he had help with people like melman and ralph reed but he was the architect
Rove is absolutely right that conservatism is the dominant political force in America today. The problem is getting the Republican party to recognize this, because no matter how many times they win, they always seem to act like it's an accident of history or something and that they're headed back into the minority if they make just one little mistake.
Respectfully disagree...
1 a plural genii : an attendant spirit of a person or place b plural usually genii : a person who influences another for good or bad
2 : a strong leaning or inclination : PENCHANT
3 a : a peculiar, distinctive, or identifying character or spirit b : the associations and traditions of a place c : a personification or embodiment especially of a quality or condition
4 plural usually genii : SPIRIT, JINNI
5 plural usually geniuses a : a single strongly marked capacity or aptitude b : extraordinary intellectual power especially as manifested in creative activity c : a person endowed with transcendent mental superiority; especially : a person with a very high intelligence quotient
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