[Boundless]

> It was sure smart of KR to get the Swift Boat Veterans ...

Well, keep in mind this is WaPo talking.

They are unwilling to consider that Kerry lost because of
Kerry (or Clinton). The explanation has to lie elsewhere,
and Rove has been a convenient figure they can spin as the
sinister mastermind.

I agree with your observation. Rove theory alone would have
lost. It took:
- SBVFT & POWs (that Rove would have preferred be quiet)
- Evangelicals self-organizing (beyond any Rove effort)
- Astonishing Kerry gaffes that Rove could not control
- Usama bin Laden injecting himself into the campaign
- and a bunch of other stuff at the margin that was not
part of The Architect's grand strategy

[ottothedog]

I mostly am not a KR fan. But, there was a phenomenal GOTV effort. I live in Liberalville, MO. You can't sling a dead cat around here without hitting a liberal-- they're everwhere. I mean hardcore commie type liberals too. But, the Repubs kept coming by to make sure we were going to vote. They had to have mined the appropriate DB's to know that we subscribed to conservative magazines or something. We were the needle in the proverbial haystack, but they found us!

[CaraM]

- SBVFT & POWs (that Rove would have preferred be quiet)
- Evangelicals self-organizing (beyond any Rove effort)
- Astonishing Kerry gaffes that Rove could not control
- Usama bin Laden injecting himself into the campaign
- and a bunch of other stuff at the margin that was not part of The Architect's grand strategy

In my opinion, God heard our prayers and let all these things work in unison. God is the Supreme Architect! President Bush is the vessel for a time as this.

[Atchafalaya]

You have to also have to include the fact that Kerry was a sonorous sham.

[cricket]

"I agree with your observation. Rove theory alone would have lost. It took: - SBVFT & POWs (that Rove would have preferred be quiet) - Evangelicals self-organizing (beyond any Rove effort) - Astonishing Kerry gaffes that Rove could not control - Usama bin Laden injecting himself into the campaign - and a bunch of other stuff at the margin that was not part of The Architect's grand strategy"

Think we should thank as well; Terry McAullife; the Hollywierd Left; and Sydney Blumenthal who, along with Michael Moore; perhaps encouraged London's 'The Guardian' to exorcise in the most positive way; the Ohio voters.