I don’t know Rove’s true beliefs, but I do believe he is motivated primarily by his drive to win.
He believed that O’Donnell couldn’t/wouldn’t win. I would have voted for her, but I also agreed with him.
Voting for O’Donnell in the primary may have won a battle, but it lost a war. (in a metaphorical sense)
On the contrary, I think that the O'Donnell race may have been a lost battle, but a first step in winning the real war for the soul of the Republican Party.
Elections should be about competing visions, not about which gang gets its turn to plunder the taxpayers. A politician who is only about his gang "winning" should have no part in the Republican Party. A political consultant who is only about "winning" should have no role in the Republican Party.
If somebody is "electable", but once elected will simply work to advance the socialist agenda, then what's the point? Better to TRY to get actual conservatives into office than to succeed in electing another socialist.
--Said as chastisement to his staff for canceling an opponent's meeting with then Governor Reagan. Quoted on KCBS radio in 1972 by Reagan's gubernatorial chief of staff.