Does Rove's Cockiness Help or Hurt Dean?

[slinkerwink]

Poll question: Does Rove's Cockiness Help or Hurt Dean?

Cockiness Vs. Inevitablilty (+ POLL)
by jb in nyc http://www.dailykos.com
Thu Dec 11th, 2003 at 07:26:58 UTC

Assuming Dean takes the nomination...
Rove & Co. have been doing a lot of crowing over the last few days. The Daily News is running quoting (unattributed) GOoPers, salivating at the prospect of a Dean nomination, saying he'd lose 45 states. There's a push to make the Dean Unelectablilty Meme the CW.

On the other hand, Kristol seems to be taking Dean pretty seriously, cautioning that Dean is viable. Club for Growth was the first GOP organ to assume Dean was dangerous enough to run an ad against him personally.

All these mixed messages.

Here's the question: is Rove cocky and foolish, or is this part of his strategy? (Ok, it's Rove, so its definitely part of his strategy. Is his strategy well-founded?)

Does the dismissal of Dean benefit the Democrats, by lowering expectations to the point that the GOP will be totally unprepared for the Might Of Trippi & DFA? Or is Rove's Inevitabilty trick gonna work twice in a row?

[slinkerwink]

1. Rove is totally underestimating Dean!

;-)

[Guaranteed]

2. Underestimation....

Wasn't that ploy used in the 2000 election? Everyone expected Bush to be a bumbling idiot, so it was a triumph for him when he could talk halfway straight during the debates?

[slinkerwink]

3. ha, stupid bush.

he's still a bumbling idiot.

[Coldgothicwoman]

4. I voted that it would hurt Governor Dean

although I hope I'm totally wrong. But the ambivalence by the corporate media will only confuse a voter until they settle on one thing: the 'anger' meme.

And while at first glance thats a good thing, I'm concerned that in the end, they'll take 'considered concern' over 'anger' (NOT my true feelings of course, just the perception they'll be fed).

But I DO so hope I'm wrong.

[slinkerwink]

5. I know you're wrong

[slinkerwink]

6. Bush isn't inevitable with his DROP in polls

:eyes:

[Coldgothicwoman]

11. Well PARDON me

But you don't KNOW I'm wrong until the election, now, do you.

As I said, I HOPE I'm wrong. I've done nothing but wish ANY of our candidates, INCLUDING Governor Dean, the absolute best.

[SahaleArm]

7. Rove is nothing if not politically savvy

Caveat Emptor - Remember who controls the media outlets

[slinkerwink]

9. you're overrating Rove

look at all the screw-ups he's made. The "Mission Accomplished" banner, and the "Fake turkey" photo op.

[SahaleArm]

12. Who owns the Presidency, the Senate, and the House? Enough said *nm*

*nm*

[slinkerwink]

14. it's by a SMALL majority.....

honestly.

[SahaleArm]

20. Rove has fixed that as well - See Redistricting and Diebold *nm*

[Julien Sorel]

8. How about, Rove's attitude towards Dean is irrelevant?

Dean is what he is, a small-state governor with no foreign policy experience running for president at a time for war. He shoots off his mouth too much, argues around almost every issue so you never know where he stands from day to day half the time, has an angry, prickly persona that turns lots of people off, has promised to raise taxes, and tells obvious and unnecessary lies when he thinks it suits him. You think, given those negatives, Rove's putative attitude matters? Dean has lots more problems than what Karl Rove thinks of him, or what other people think Karl Rove thinks of him.

[slinkerwink]

10. *rolls eyes*

and your guy, clark is so perfect?

Clark's never been elected to a statewide office. Clark has never voted on any domestic policy issues, and Clark never has balanced the budget eleven years in a row. Clark's angry, after all, he told off a FoxNews reporter, and shouted a lot in the debate. Clark has promised to raise taxes, and lied about supporting the war on Iraq.


There, that's what Rove can spin besides the video of Clark at a Republican fundraiser.

[Julien Sorel]

13. How quickly you change from Dean to Clark.

Is Dean so utterly indefensible that you people have to bring up Clark every time someone points out Dean's flaws? You didn't even try to address the problems Dean has; most of you people never do. It just reinforces the 'meme,' to use your silly talk, that Dean can't be defended, so you go on the attack.

Yeah, that Karl Rove. As overconfident as he can be. I'm sure he loses sleep every night wondering how the Kool-aid crew will respond with pointed, on-target defences in response to his attacks, just like you did here. Persuasive ones, too.

[slinkerwink]

15. why was Clark at the GOP fundraiser?

:shrug:

[Julien Sorel]

17. Another excellent defence!

Rove just lost 5 minutes more sleep!

[SahaleArm]

19. LOL *nm*

[AndyTiedye]

16. I am More Worried about Diebold

Have next November's results already been programmed into the machinez?

[LiberalBushFan]

18. objection to this poll

Karl Rove's cockiness helping and him underestimating Dean have no relation. I think his cockiness is helping Dean win the nomination, and that Karl Rove is not underestimating Dean. I don't know whether he intentionally meant to help Dean with his cockiness or whether it's a lucky side effect for Rove. Anyhow, sadly it seems people would rather lose the foolish challenge to prove him wrong than prove him right by beating him in the election with someone whom he actually fears. Would it really be so bad to prove him right in that way?