Posted on 02/10/2013 7:34:13 AM PST by Free Vulcan
Iowa Republicans are channeling Ronald Reagan in their response to Karl Rove's Conservative Victory Project, set up to derail "unelectable" candidates like GOP Rep. Steve King before they can win primaries and spoil the party's general election chances. Rove, they say, is not the solution to the problem; Rove is the problem.
“We’re concerned about Steve King’s Todd Akin problem," Steven Law, the group's president, told the New York Times earlier this week. Law softened his stance on King in a subsequent interview with National Review, but Iowa Republicans are still crying foul. The problem, according to Iowa GOP Chair A.J. Spiker, isn't with his state's 4th District representative or a failed Missouri Senate candidate. "When people like Rove are out there talking about the Todd Akin problem, well there's a Karl Rove problem too," Spiker said in a phone interview.
Meddling in an Iowa election before a single GOP candidate has declared only exacerbated Rove's perceived problem, said one Republican operative after another. Strategist Bob Haus said, "The reaction has been predictably equal and opposite," firing up King's grassroots support.
King and Rep. Tom Latham are considered the frontrunners for the Republican nomination -- polls show King with an edge among primary voters but Latham more likely to fare well in a general election. Iowa Republican editor Craig Robinson said Latham could have made a strong case for the nomination using the electability argument, but Rove deprived him of that opportunity by forcing the issue in a "destructive" manner. "[Rove] took all the oxygen out of the room," Robinson said. "That's an argument that Latham should be making."
Political consultant and former state GOP Chair Steve Grubbs said Rove inadvertently provided an edge to King as he and Latham jockey behind the scenes for party support. "If he wanted to slow King down, the reverse has occurred. ... It certainly allows Steve King to get the upper hand with the grassroots conservatives," Grubbs said. "You've got a small group of donors, you've got a small group of activists. This provides King with a rallying cry."
Two elements strong within Iowa's GOP, the Christian Right and libertarians, "really don't like being told what to do," Haus said." Robinson agreed. "To have an outsider come in and say, 'I know what best for you' ... It's insulting," he said.
Even piling on legitimately flawed candidates like Akin, Spiker said, only gives Democrats ammunition to paint the GOP as out of touch. "When groups like that insert themselves, I think it ends up backfiring," he said.
Despite the momentum gained by King, Republicans say Latham is enough of a known commodity that voters won't associate him with Rove, even if he is viewed as more establishment-friendly. "Latham is defined pretty well among Republican primary voters in Iowa," Grubbs said.
There also aren't a helluva lot of moderates left in the Iowa GOP. We are very conservative as a general rule. So going after a great and highly popular conservative like Steve King and thinking us little sheep were just going to follow you was the biggest political mistake you've ever made.
Karl Rove needs to take his millions, retire, and STFU. He isn’t a conservative. He’s a tool of the elitist bankers and globalists that are destroying this country.
Since Rove is anti-conservative, he had to step outside of Texas to commit his FAIL mission of wrecking the GOP. Ruining Bush’s second term with absolute silence while the left tore him limb from limb, with lie after lie, was not enough damage for ole Karl.
I knew Rove’s poison crew was behind the hate Atkin move. His minions sure swamped FR with their message. It was demented.
Wouldn’t it be novel if this mob would go after the Dems for a change? In the meantime, I will be watching for who they support and who the hate.
Conservative? Iowa? You have got to be kidding me. Iowa has voted Rat in 6 of the last 7 elections. Including twice for Obama. Iowa is not conservative.
Thank goodness someone like Mark Levin is shining the light on Karl Rove, Stephen Law and their track record.
Losing football coaches are replaced. KR is not a conservative (supporter of Gerald Ford and George H.W. Bush). It is time for Karl Rove to be replaced by a winner.
And you’re an idiot. We are a purple state and the numbers reflect that, which you would know if you weren’t shooting your mouth off from half way across the country.
The Iowa Republican Party is arguably one of the most conservative in the nation, same could be said for our GOP legislators. We hold the House and the Governorship and are 2 seats from a majority in the Senate.
So yes we do vote for a Dem President here and there, but our state level politics is a whole other dog.
The nominal Iowa Republican Party has been taken over by Paultards, and Iowa Republicans in the state legislature have booted conservatives from leadership positions several times in recent years.
I grew up and own property in rural counties here, and live in an affluent Des Moines suburb. Not many GOP insiders could be called conservative except in relation to Democrat activists.
Romney was an enthusiastic, not reluctant, choice for them. Governor Branstad doesn’t hate conservatives like Rove does, but he also doesn’t want to be closely identified with them.
Iowa is home to ‘moderate’ Republicans. Steve King is an aberration.
That is how I see Iowa, middle left, far from conservative. I’m sure there are lots of good conservatives in Iowa, and I worry about Texas in 5 or 10 years, but no way is Iowa or the Iowa GOP conservative.
That’s a good post. Right on the money.
Where exactly did I knock Texas? You’re the one that ran your mouth, I’m the one that kicked your teeth down your throat with my boot.
Yeah and your local govts are full of liberals, you have an illegal problem from hell that none of your governors have the guts to do anything about, your school systems are full of liberals pushing wacko curriculum on kids, forcing 12 year old girls to get Guardasil vaccines, and you have Austin.
Seems all you care about is cheap illegal labor to do anything about your border. So maybe you should get your own house in order before you bad mouth Iowa.
I think you’re vision is a little skewed. I’m not sure who we’ve booted from the leadership other than McKinley. Behn resigned, Dix is conservative.
I think if you look who we elect to the legislature, you’ll find most of the GOP are pretty conservative. Let’s face it, Polk county isn’t exactly representative of the state.
I guess you don’t remember Stew Iverson. I’m a personal friend. And some of us apparently get out more than others.
“Karl Rove needs to take his millions, retire, and STFU. He isn’t a conservative. He’s a tool of the elitist bankers and globalists that are destroying this country.”
Amen!!! His pro illegal immigrant stance is disgusting. I can’t help but think this guy had some major psychological issues growing up and now has become this power hungry soldier for the advancement of globalism.
AMEN! I do believe it is time for American conservatives to leave the establishment GOP RINO’s who want to be more like lefists (santa clause) then understanding and following the limitations on government in the Constitution!
Leave the GOP holding themselves and pissing their pantys with a bold real American conservative party!
Eight Deuce on the loose!
check mail.
All....Does anybody remember what the Democrats did at their convention ??? First they eliminated any mention of the word GOD...and when they thought twice about doing that they reintroduced the resolution what happened ? They booed God....That resolution was rammed through just like the Affordable Health Care Act ...
Was that used in any of the material Rove’s RINOS spewed forth during the 2012 Romney or US senate races his group of GOPES (Government Ofthe People Elite Snobs) used on their hit list ? I like using that abbreviation because it rhymes with dopes.
Noooo ! They could have used that episode to point out how far to the left the democrat party has hyphenated into; Demo-Coms ...Instead well we don’t like Aikin at least he believes in something like the ten commandments. Including Thou shalt not steal and doesn’t believe that getting elected office doesn’t give you a license to do that. Which his opponent seems to have done rather well since being in office. The same thing with Mourdock.
Now his bunch seems to be saying if you hold a religious view don’t run for office... We’re gonna save the Republican party ....to be finished off by Obama and the hypenated democrats..
Roves RINOS wrong for America and wrong for the Republican party...
I get out just fine as I know a fair number up there on the hill from running state level campaigns this last go around. Stu is long past tense. ‘10 and ‘12 has swept in a very different crew in the golden dome that what it was when
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