Post-Rovian Thinking

"[F]rom the day he went to work in the White House, Karl Rove has been Bush's enabler as much as his master strategist--a key adviser who saw no subtleties or nuance, brushed aside internal qualms and ferociously went after critics who raised any questions about the president's policies.

"This was especially true of Iraq -- the defining initiative of the Bush presidency -- in which Rove's behind-the-scenes role in the selling and spinning of the war was far more significant than is commonly known."

Isikoff then goes on to chronicle how "Rove's behind-the-scenes role in the selling and spinning of the war was far more significant than is commonly known."

What's almost most astonishing is that the ostensible creator of Bush's bubble continues to flatly deny that it exists.

In a fascinating roundtable interview with reporters on Air Force One yesterday, Rove was asked who would now provide counsel to the president.

"MR. ROVE: Look, the great thing is the President creates an environment in which people feel very confident. . . . where they understand speaking plainly and candidly about what you think is what he expects and what he rewards. . . .

"The President is really -- look, he is focused on setting the tone. He understands how vital it is that a President get unvarnished advice."

Rove's Rules

Adam Nagourney writes in the New York Times: "Certainly, Mr. Rove has to a considerable extent changed the way presidential politics are played. Modeled on his example, campaigns have become more disciplined in driving simple, often negative messages. They begin in trying to identify the vulnerabilities of potential opponents, and they do extensive negative research as they prepare to exploit those vulnerabilities early and often.

"They seek to work out long-term, month-by-month game plans and stick with them, even in difficult times. And they methodically use marketing and other data to identify potential supporters and get them to the polls with an efficiency that had never been seen before."

Peter S. Canellos writes in his Boston Globe column: "[T]here can be little doubt that the administration's personality -- combative, unyielding, indulgent of its supporters and contemptuous of its opponents -- was shaped in large part by Rove's political philosophy.

"As a campaign strategist, Rove will always be remembered for breaking with conventional wisdom in two major respects. First, he pioneered the strategy of attacking rivals in their areas of strength, rather than weakness. . . .

"The second way in which Rove challenged political wisdom was in concentrating on rallying a candidate's 'base' of supporters rather than try to appeal to moderates. Most consultants recommend that a candidate with a strong reputation as a liberal or a conservative should take for granted a certain number of core supporters and tack to the middle.