Is there a more polarizing political figure than Karl Rove? Well, maybe his boss, these days, but you get the point. People admire him. People detest him. And there’s not much in the middle.
Whatever your thoughts, consider this: How many people make such a strong impression that their names become adjectives? So when the president’s political advisor announced this week that he was leaving the White House, that was big news. As one liberal pundit put it: How will Bush function without his brain?
That’s one of Rove’s nicknames, of course: “Bush’s Brain.” And President Bush has reportedly bestowed at least three nicknames of his own upon the man: “Boy Genius,” “The Architect” and a third one that can’t be printed in the newspaper.
Rove is generally credited as the strategic mastermind behind Bush’s political successes, but he is also a formidably clever tactician who seems to relish the murky side of politics. Some of his critics believe his maneuvers have harmed American political discourse; others just think he’s evil. These are generally the people who’ve been celebrating his upcoming departure, and they might want to bear this mind: Political operatives don’t retire — they just go find another candidate.
Here's your download-and-print version.
THIS WEEK'S WORDS: Karl, Rove, George, Bush, president, boy, genius, Republican, National, Committee, mastermind, term, architect, West, Wing, policy, skill, nickname, brain, Texas, governor, race, critics, Democrats, wedge, issues, base, mobilize, White, House, strategy, red, state, ego, power, quit, help, star, evil, GOP, game, gay, RNC, murk, Fox, fix, harm, CNN, tied, run, Roe, political, Washington.
Comments