[ewing]

Good to solidify the base, big time.

Link to original Roll Call article this morning http://www.rollcall.com/pub/48_54/news/375-1.html

[ewing]

ping

[RAT Patrol]

Thank God.

[OldFriend]

Perhaps 'certain' republicans need to be reminded that we have a man in the White House who is the President of everyone, not a partisan hack as the previous occupant.

[concerned about politics]

the concept of political 'triangulation' does not work

It does for Democrats, though. Their base isn't large enough to win elections by themselves. They have to lie during campains and try to decieve the voters. Once they get to washington, they can revert back to the image of the serpant.
As for Republicans, honesty is not only the best policy, but it's demanded by their base.
Rove is right. Don't lie to Republicans. We don't like it.
'Triangulation' will not work for Republicans. Passion without precision is chaos.

[toast]

Just look at Schroeder in Germany to see what happens when you do nothing but triangulate.

[Carry_Okie]

Um, it's nice talk but that would mean he would start DOING something to support that base (like getting W to seal the borders and deport illegals).

If what Rove did to conservatives in the last election was help I don't want any more of it. He screwed Bill Simon.

[Wait4Truth]

Nobody should ever doubt this President...when will they learn?

[ppaul]

Rove Vows to GOP Leaders: 'No Triangulation'-Bush Not Moving to Politcial Center

Obviously.
With his "AIDS AID" he's moved left.

[Chad Fairbanks]

Ping! (ha ha ha)

[PianoMan]

Waaaait a minute...I thought Bush caved in on steel in part becauuse of the pragmatic Karl Rove?

[KC_Conspirator]

Triangulation is not necessarily moving "to the center", which seems to infer that people like Klinton were moderates. All it means is that you separate yourself somewhat and play both parties off one another to gain political advantage. It works well if you get crushed after an election in 94'; like Klinton. However, George W. Bush won the last election, in fact, defying history, and has a sky high approval rating. Why would he need to pander to anti-American leftists?

[My2Cents]

Clearly, Bush is not an ideological politican, but he tends to be conservative in his instincts. But there are initiatives which come from his heart, and not from a well-defined political philosophy, which tend to aggrevate conservatives. His "faith-based" initiative, and his application of this to the AIDS initiative in Africa, come to mind. While Bush will not "trangulate," he will continue to lead from the heart, and this will run him afoul of the true-believers on the right.

[x]

There probably will be attempts to win over voters in the center. Bush can't afford not to try, and some of the proposals he's already made reflect this effort. What Rove is saying may be that Bush won't cave in to Democratic leaders, but try to win support in Congress and the country on his own, picking and choosing his own battles and tactics, rather than having them forced upon him.

[Recovering_Democrat]

There is a decided difference, I think, between "triangulation" and "taking issues off the table". Clinton engaged primarily in the former, our current Commander In Chief does the latter.

I think the difference lies in where one's policy takes shape. Triangulation, I think, tries to find a workable tandem between two separate points of view. President Bush is more likely to find a conservative solution that'll pass--as conservative as possible, sometimes...as in the flawed Education bill or the Campaign Finance Reform bill.

I think both have MAJOR problems, some practical other Constitutional--but the fact remains, the President did have some victory here, and took away from the liberals a campaign issue.

[Jesse]

Bush is not moving to the center. He is already waaaay over there on the left when it comes to spending and expanding federal programs. And given the details of his new budget, he plans to stay over on the left.

Tax (cut) and spend Republican.

[ZULU]

George Bush II is unlike his father. He has the personality of his mother. His father was and is feckless.

Bush II and his mother are both extremely tough, tenacious, and highly principled individuals. I believe Bush resembles Teddy Roosevelt more than any other prior President and I suspect he will follow in TR's footsteps of compassion, integrity and patriotism. He has a common touch and his speech is for the average man and woman - honest, frank, to the point and very clear. You can take that to the Bank.

[jjm2111]

Bullsh-- </Loud cough>

[Teacher317]

Anytime a politician or advisor tells me that X is NOT happening... I have to wonder.

[TRY ONE]

"....President George W. Bush would not alienate House Republicans by moving to the center..."

Then why did GW propose the BIGGEST budget in history
($2.23 Kazillion) which includes all the Teddy Kennedy
happy programs for Education, etc. etc....????

Me thinks Rove is engaged in premature triangulation,
second only to premature ejacuulation...

[unspun]

Went to page; another article up already, looks like.

I found this though:

"-- Bush Administration Strategy/Personality
The Washington Post 's Allen gets at the tick-tock and the religious overtones of Bush's Saturday speech. "Aides said the frankly religious nature of Bush's four-minute remarks was aimed largely at comforting the bereaved, and at trying to give the nation a larger context for a sudden and macabre tragedy." --"

Anyone with WP access want to look into it?
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A16539-2003Feb2.html