Rove: Iraq Will Not Be A Big Issue In The Next Election
Rove: Iraq Will Not Be A Big Issue In The Next Election
Yesterday on NBC Nightly News, White House correspondent John Yang said that Bush’s senior political aide Karl Rove has apparently calculated that Iraq will not affect the 2008 elections. Rove, who spoke Sunday at the Aspen Ideas Festival, reportedly said “Iraq may not be a big issue in the next election because, he hopes, troops will be coming home by then.” Watch it:
The Atlantic’s Ross Douhat notes that “Rove talked fluently about the surge as a means to enable us to start drawing down our forces” while the Aspen Daily News provides a few more details on Rove’s speech:
Overall, Rove said the goal was to make the “U.S. combat footprint smaller,” but he also surmised later in the interview that when the next president is sworn in on Jan. 21, 2009, plenty of American troops would still be in Iraq.
Rove appears only to be interested in creating the impression that the troops will be coming home by election day 2008 rather than actually instituting a real redeployment policy. As today’s New York Times reports:
Mr. Rove had warned that if Mr. Bush went too far in announcing a redeployment, the result could include a further cascade of defections — and the passage of legislation that would force a withdrawal by a specific date, a step Mr. Bush has always said he would oppose.
Unfortunately, as Joe Sudbay notes, Rove is still a leading figure in crafting administration policy, which means we can only expect half measures and political rhetoric that appeals to the conservative base, instead of a responsible plan for the orderly withdrawal of American troops from the middle of a civil war.
UPDATE: Claiming sole access to “THE math,” Rove has a history of making political predictions that deny reality, especially in regards to Iraq:
ROVE: I’m looking at all of these Robert and adding them up. I add up to a Republican Senate and Republican House. You may end up with a different math but you are entitled to your math and I’m entitled to THE math.
UPDATE II: ABC News has some more of Rove’s exact quotes:
“I think Iraq may or may not be the big issue,” said Rove. “It depends on where Iraq is by March, or April, or May of next year. I think it’s likely not to be the dominant issue because I think, because of my assumptions about where it is — where it is likely to be.”
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More Rovian Math!
July 9th, 2007 at 11:57 amBWAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHHA!!
This kinda makes me nervous. What “terrorist event” could Rove be planning that will make Iraq pale into insignificance?
July 9th, 2007 at 11:58 amWho’s politicizing this war?
July 9th, 2007 at 11:58 amGeneral Rove is runnung the war. Knowing how bad his math is, every American should be horrified. But not The Decider. He believes in turning over US military strategy to a high school graduate from Texas who’s only degree in life is that of a dirty political trickster.
Heckuva job.
-GSD
July 9th, 2007 at 12:01 pmNah — it’s ONLY the biggest issue on the minds of the public right now (at least it’s at the top of every poll I ever see on what the public considers “important issues”).
So if it won’t be a big issue by November 2008, it will be because 1) we have ended our involvement there (if only!), or 2) the Bushneys have introduced an issue even more alarming and outrageous.
Hmmm…which will it be? which will it be?
July 9th, 2007 at 12:02 pmIs this like “the math” he used to conclude that the Democrats wouldn’t take the Congress in ‘06?
July 9th, 2007 at 12:03 pmSounds like Rove just mentioned a timetable.
July 9th, 2007 at 12:03 pmThis is coming from the same guy who had “The Math” and was so confident that republicans would keep control of Congress.
How’d that turn out?
How many times does someone have to be WRONG before you stop listening to them?
July 9th, 2007 at 12:03 pm“Rove talked fluently about the surge as a means to enable us to start drawing down our forcesâ€
See, in order to get ALL OF OUR TROOPS OUT of Iraq, first we have to put ALL OF OUR TROOPS IN Iraq.
It’s simple ‘rithmetic, sheesh, get over it, wouldja?
but he also surmised later in the interview that when the next president is sworn in on Jan. 21, 2009, plenty of American troops would still be in Iraq.
Which kinda argues against it’s ‘not being a big issue during the next election’.
July 9th, 2007 at 12:04 pmEven IF the troops came home - which I doubt they will - I would hope that the war would be primary on people’s minds in this coming election.
It’s not just this war, or the last one, or the next one that’s the problem - it’s our decades-long foreign policy of aggression, militarism, force and war.
That needs to be changed - now.
Some further thoughts:
“A Foreign Policy for America”
July 9th, 2007 at 12:05 pmhttp://www.populistamerica.com/a_foreign_policy_for_america
“the passage of legislation that would force a withdrawal by a specific date,”
For the LAST time….this cannot happen. Bush will NEVER EVER obey any law that “constricts” his “warmaking rights”. He will simply say Article II of the Constitution makes that law illegal, and will ignore it.
There is no legislative way out of Iraq. Period.
July 9th, 2007 at 12:05 pmThe reporter misunderstood……..Rove speaks with the assumption irreverence they will be coming home in a coffin.
July 9th, 2007 at 12:06 pmwell, come on! the headline is (again) misleading, like most of think progress’ headlines. the end of the sentence was, “because he hopes troops will be home by then.”
hello? that’s a HUGE difference from, “iraq will not be a big issue in the next election.”
July 9th, 2007 at 12:08 pmand the passage of legislation that would force a withdrawal by a specific date, a step Mr. Bush has always said he would oppose.
But they will be home before the next election….um isn’t that setting a date….a pretty specific date? I think the next election has been scheduled already. I think someone should interrupt Bush’s bologna sandwich and tell him that.
July 9th, 2007 at 12:08 pmSo Rove thinks that troops will be coming home by 2008?
But isn’t that like announcing our plans to the enemy?
Better not tell Rudy G. about that. He might just slap Rove across the face or something.
July 9th, 2007 at 12:09 pm“Plenty of American troops will be there” to protect our new OIL FIELDS!!
God Bless Profit! and the poor patriotic Americans that make it possible.
July 9th, 2007 at 12:10 pmI see delusion has gotten Karl…
You just keep telling yourself that. LOL Won’t make it true.
July 9th, 2007 at 12:12 pmWC ~ only in the privacy of Rove’s office, with the leathers on…
July 9th, 2007 at 12:13 pmMore Rovian doubletalk. Let’s have a surge and kills even more people because we plan to draw down. Not in the real world, Adolph Rove!
July 9th, 2007 at 12:15 pmI see what’s happening. Sometime in early 2008 Iraq is going to be renamed “East Texastan.” That way at election time there won’t be any troops in Iraq because it will no longer be Iraq.
Brilliant strategy, Rove!
July 9th, 2007 at 12:15 pmThat would also assume that Bush/Cheney are still in office in 01/09.
July 9th, 2007 at 12:15 pmRU - Rove is the master of contemporary sadism.
July 9th, 2007 at 12:16 pmOf course this WAR is going to be an issue in 2008! Too many spineless democrats and timid republicans. That’s why there is going to be third party candidate or independent run for the White House. I’m sure of it.
July 9th, 2007 at 12:16 pmRove is at his campaign tactic again - attacking the strength of the opposition. If he “hopes” the troops are home by the 08 election, then he is a position to help make it happen. But, he doesn’t “want” the troops home and so they won’t be. Rove is able to tell us his feelings are “hope” and not “want” because we can’t prove, directly, which it is. But indirectly, by the course of events, we know which is the truth.
July 9th, 2007 at 12:18 pmwell, come on! the headline is (again) misleading, like most of think progress’ headlines. the end of the sentence was, “because he hopes troops will be home by then.â€
hello? that’s a HUGE difference from, “iraq will not be a big issue in the next election.â€
Comment by bill — July 9, 2007 @ 12:08 pm
You are correct.
The headline should be something like this:
“Rove goes against Bush, hints at a timetable for withdrawing troops prior to the election of 2008.”
There is of course another option. The Republics will pull out those old standby’s, same-sex marriage and flag burning, to whip up support among their base. Those WERE the two most important issues facing this country, remember, back in the summer of 2006. They will be again come summer 2008.
July 9th, 2007 at 12:19 pmOoo! Ooo! And if East Texastan is annexed as the 51st state, then there will no longer be talk about “bringing the troops home” because they’ll already be home.
And you know East Texastanis will get a vote in Congress before DC.
July 9th, 2007 at 12:19 pmRove doesn’t have feelings. He has feelers, just like the other roaches in the white house.
July 9th, 2007 at 12:20 pmWC ~ only in the privacy of Rove’s office, with the leathers on…
Comment by RUCerious — July 9, 2007 @ 12:13 pm
Ewwww.
July 9th, 2007 at 12:21 pmThis will be just one of many Rove ploys to pump up the republican base before the next election.
I’m sure they’ll declare victory and send some troops home just before.
I’m sure they’ll manipulate gas prices down again as well. (Thanks again for that Goldman Sachs).
Of course, they never intend to leave at all.
Their hand must be forced to do so.
Then broken for good.
July 9th, 2007 at 12:22 pmObviously, Adolph Rove has a serious ego problem in insisting that it is THE math and not simply HIS math. Get a grip, KKKarl! The world isn’t flat as you espouse and no one gives a flying crap what you think about the 08 election AT ALL! This guy should make like a wind - and blow - away … far, far away.
July 9th, 2007 at 12:24 pmAgain, trying to stem the tide of republican defections.
July 9th, 2007 at 12:24 pmSomeday Rove will find his flabby arss sitting in a prison somewhere in this country.
July 9th, 2007 at 12:24 pm#23 As an active Independent, I know that you’re right. The Democrats continue to fail the people, the Republicans support is dropping like the Titanic and the new kid on the block will be the Independent Party. Just because it will fragment our two existing parties is absolutely NO reason to discount or discourage it. Besides, it’s “time” for a third party to emergy and, I suspect, that it will. Clearly, neither party is representing the will of the american people right now.
July 9th, 2007 at 12:26 pmAR: The problem is: (shhhhh! Don’t tell anyone though) Karl Rove is yesterday’s news. The Pillsbury Dough Boy is over and he can attempt to pump up the world and it’s not going to fly any longer. The people know his transparent gig and won’t be fooled again.
July 9th, 2007 at 12:27 pmAt some point, their talking point will be not to talk about it.
Their response will be “War? What war? I don’t recall if I remember a war. What is the definition of war? You can’t prove we went to war.”
July 9th, 2007 at 12:27 pmGotta admit, it’d be nice if it were true, but does Rove have any shred of credibility outside of lemming trolls and Dr. Dobson?
And WhyTF is he still talking - shouldn’t he have been fired for his role in Plame by Bush himself who pledged to do so?
July 9th, 2007 at 12:28 pmWC - The almost-extinct GOP’s “Big Three: God, Sex and Sin” can’t help them now. The people will laugh in their moronic faces this time.
July 9th, 2007 at 12:28 pm#36 You’ve got a point which is precisely why Rove’s appearance anywhere means zilch. He has zippo credibility with the people and waning credibility with his base - that is, those who want their congressional “gravy train” to continue and are up for re-election. I think Rove will be doing his singing impersonations on his way out the door soon.
July 9th, 2007 at 12:30 pmRove: Iraq Will Not Be A Big Issue In The Next Election
omg, this is the biggest laugh I have had in a week.
July 9th, 2007 at 12:30 pmBesides, the people KNOW that Rove was directly involved in the treasonous affair…along with the Dick, Cheney, and the Shrubbie. It matters little if it ever is proven in court or these criminals brought to justice for it.
THE PEOPLE KNOW WHO THE TREASONOUS CRIMINALS ARE and that’s what’s important.
July 9th, 2007 at 12:31 pmSoldiers have always been just stiff plastic players on the foosball game of politics. Which is why it’s not even remotely surprising that Karl Rove is in any way, shape, or globular form involved in a decision on whether or not to withdraw troops from Iraq. As a few Republican senators up for re-election make noise like they actually have the ‘nads to oppose the White House, Rove is telling Bush, as ever, to play like he’s got the only bucket in the sandbox: you wanna build any castles, you gotta do it on his terms.
http://rudepundit.blogspot.com/
July 9th, 2007 at 12:31 pmHowdie Wayne! How are ‘ya today? Yes, I’m ROTFLMAO right now at how idiotic Rove is sounding. Does he really not see that the people are mocking him and making a total jackass out of his comments?
July 9th, 2007 at 12:32 pmIn comparing what the Dems (along with a few Repus) are proposing regarding the withdrawal of troops, I think someone credible should propose to those Republicans who are in favor of a protracted withdrawal this integral question:
“If we accept your proposal of a lengthy withdrawal, then we will ask each of you to be the ‘bearer of bad news” in your respective states to tell the parents of those killed during this protracted withdrawl that their sons or daughters have been killed…..and, of course, that their death means nothing in terms of accomplishment of any goal in Iraq.
This is the way to hold those voting on this issue to the integrity of their own vote. Make them the messengers of the bad news of the deaths during the inordinate amount of time they want for withdrawal and I believe they’d be singing a totally different tune.
July 9th, 2007 at 12:37 pmAfter all, each congressman’s vote carries a moral responsibility now with it - and they need to share in the obvious burden of dealing with the parents who will realize that their son or daughter has died in vain.
July 9th, 2007 at 12:38 pmveritas ~ I like the idea of a death sash. Every trooper from their state killed gets added to the sash. They’re required to wear it every day, all day. Except of course when the next name needs to be added.
July 9th, 2007 at 12:39 pmYes there are better options than the two party system. Please look into other parties like the Green Party or the Libertarian Party. Both offer real alternatives to the repubs and dems, which are both very much controlled by large corporate interests. Vote your with your mind, not just for who you think will win! You will sleep better at night.
July 9th, 2007 at 12:43 pmRove’s math sure worked in ‘06.
July 9th, 2007 at 12:45 pm#42 - why has it taken eight excruciating years for the american public and press to see through carl the fascist and dick the traitor - indifference or convenience?
July 9th, 2007 at 12:46 pmIraq won’t be an issue.
July 9th, 2007 at 12:48 pmHopefully Bush will leave so Al-Qaeda and Iran can go at it!
That’ll drag in other countries in that area and they’ll self destruct!
Americans will sit back and laugh at competing suicide bombers go at it!
It’ll be great TV!
#47 not sure what you mean by ‘worked’ - has it worked for you?
July 9th, 2007 at 12:48 pmHaggard has the Meth.
KKKarl has the Math.
Bush has the mouth.
But Cheney’s got a gun.
July 9th, 2007 at 12:48 pmI can almost guarantee that the troops will be on their way home during the run up to the 08 elections. That is their only strategy. That is the ONLY way that the repugs could keep any of their elected offices.
July 9th, 2007 at 12:54 pmThe plan all along. Run out the clock, just like Nixon. Sacrifice everything to get to the next election. Along the way, draw down a few token troops and secretly replace them with contractors. Throw a bone to the 70% of the people now on the “looney left” who now recognize the disaster this crew of animals has wrought. Then it’s the next President’s problem, and they’re going to do precisely the same thing.
It’s all smoke and mirrors: we’re in Iraq to stay unless we bring this economy to its knees in protest. If only we could organize a mass labor shutdown, we’d get the attention of the war mongers.
July 9th, 2007 at 12:55 pmGuess PudeBoy Rover is still toiling away on that “100 Year Republican dynasty thing”. Howz that working out for all you 26%ers?
July 9th, 2007 at 12:55 pmIgnore this ignorant ass boil. Rove is once again trying to shape reality to fit his political needs. That well is dry. 2008 is Iraq, and rightly should be.
July 9th, 2007 at 12:56 pm#55 Ignore this ignorant ass boil. Rove is once again trying to shape reality to fit his political needs. That well is dry. 2008 is Iraq, and rightly should be.
Comment by BlueArkansas
But notice how he has taken the focus off healthcare?
He is like a shit-fly….buzzing from one place to another, leaving his mess for others to clean up.
July 9th, 2007 at 12:59 pmHe wants the 08 elections to be about the illegal occupation only, as it is teh only thing he and cheney have any control over. And when that gets better, he will defocus all the other shit the BushCo group has been doing (and not doing).
July 9th, 2007 at 1:01 pmComment by upside00 — July 9, 2007 @ 12:59 pm
Good point, upside. I think, however, that Americans are holding their collective breaths for the candidate who stands up and says “I will pull American troops completely out of Iraq immediately and unconditionally.” The candidate that says that will then have an audience for a platform that includes UHC, sunsetting Bush’s outrageous tax cuts, implementing 9/11 Commission recommendations, etc. I’d like to think that anyway; I have long since learned never to underestimate the political stupidity of Americans acting in concert.
July 9th, 2007 at 1:21 pmSure, Karl. Keep telling yourself that and take some more of Dr. Limbaugh’s magic pills.
July 9th, 2007 at 1:24 pmIt’s quite obvious that the republican administration and the president are playing politics with the lives of our own troops. This and the outing of a covert agent for political gain or strategy are the acts of traitors.
July 9th, 2007 at 1:27 pmDream on Karl. Even if all our soldiers were home by the November elections, people are not going to forget the 4000+ dead. People are not going to forget what getting is into that mess has done for our reputation around the world. People are not going to forget how this fiasco bankrupted this country. Bringing the troops home may not be an issue but Iraq will be.
July 9th, 2007 at 1:33 pmI can almost guarantee that the troops will be on their way home during the run up to the 08 elections. That is their only strategy. That is the ONLY way that the repugs could keep any of their elected offices.
Comment by b40 — July 9, 2007 @ 12:54 pm
I agree. The question Rove will be asked to solve is how do we make it appear that the failure lies with someone else and how do we make everyone forget that it was us that got us into the war to begin with.
While that sounds absolutely insane, Rove is good. The media will comply. And the democrats will be on their heels trying to answer as to why they allowed the Middle East to become the hellhole that it is today.
July 9th, 2007 at 1:33 pmRove may be right, of course, but only in the Orwellian sense that Mr. Cheney and Mr. Lieberman & Co., will have substituted a war with Iran for the “problem with Iraq” that will no longer be an issue come election day 2008.
Rove sometimes tells the truth, but he is always deceptive.
July 9th, 2007 at 1:41 pmHmmm. That’s either absurd wishful-thinking, or completely ominous.
July 9th, 2007 at 2:02 pmSarcasm truthfairy. Rove blew his wad in ‘02, and had to fudge the difference in ‘04 to hold on by his fingernails. He’s no genius, he’s a racketeer.
July 9th, 2007 at 2:06 pmKarl: How’s “the Math” working for you? Oh, right, you were completely wrong in your predictions for the 2006 elections. Pretty much like every one of your policy positions. Hahaha.
July 9th, 2007 at 2:08 pmLooks like Cheney has found a way to get himself out of any legal trouble.
http://news.yahoo.com/ s/ uc/ 20070707/ cm_uc_crabox/ op_473230;_ylt=Ausgb4FTSUDhP0d2HLziM6JxFb8C
July 9th, 2007 at 2:11 pmRove predicted a gain of 30 more Republican seats last year’s November elections,so did Cheney…
These are the same people who put the banner of ‘Mission Accomplished’ two months after the war began in March 2003…
They also predicted that the war will be paid by oil,and it will not exceed 28 billions !!.
So, if Rove predicts that ‘Iraq will not be an issue next elections’…
July 9th, 2007 at 2:50 pmthen how much truth in such prediction coming from Rove?!!
#34 The problem is: (shhhhh! Don’t tell anyone though) Karl Rove is yesterday’s news. The Pillsbury Dough Boy is over and he can attempt to pump up the world and it’s not going to fly any longer. The people know his transparent gig and won’t be fooled again.
Comment by veritas — July 9, 2007 @ 12:27 pm
“You can fool some of the people all of the time - and those are the ones we want to concentrate on.” GWB
July 9th, 2007 at 4:04 pmIran will be a big issue, the war must go on!
Iraq is sooooo 2004 of you.
Iran is the new front!
July 9th, 2007 at 6:05 pmThe Aspens are turning…
July 9th, 2007 at 6:05 pmRove who has always desired one party rule for the GOP has lost all credibility. His math was grossly wrong. Democrats swept both the House and the Senate despite what he claimed. Iraq will dominate the election in 2008 the way it did in 2006. Neither Rove or this president can shy away from this reality. Bush has no plans to bring our troops home. To say that he might is false. The president’s entire legacy hinges on the outcome of this war. Bush himself has claimed that he would like to keep our troops in Iraq for the next 50 years like S. Korea. The surge can’t ensure that troops will be drawn down any time soon. Quite the contrary, the Bush plan is to keep troops there for the long-term. Iraq is Bush’s burden and he has to live with it.
July 9th, 2007 at 6:42 pmAnyone see Michael Moore on CNN just now BLASTING Wolf Blitzer for a good 10 mins straight? I have never seen anything like that on CNN, ever… Moore was relentless in calling out CNN, Blitzer, SANJAY GUPTA, the MSM, on iraq and health care and the poor investigative reporting in both cases… The DEMS like Reid could use a bit of that to rub off on them, because that’s the only way to drive the point to these people, hold a bright light and expose their lies, distortions, and distractions. CNN tried to pull a fast one by shrinking Moore’s face from the screen and setting it next to a larger image of clips from his movie, in an obvious attempt to distract the viewers after it was clear several minutes into Moore’s torching that he was touching on topics they really didn’t want to cover. The trouble with these people is there’s a conflict of interest… people like Gupta, etc have an interest in propping up the establishment that puts food on the table and a porche in their garage, they won’t do anything to bit the hand that feeds them, even though their conscience (hopefully they have one) and the facts may tell them otherwise…
July 9th, 2007 at 6:43 pmOf course Iraq will not be the central issue. Think Iran. Or more horrible yet, think Iran supplemented by a vicious bombing attack on America organized and implemented by, guess who, Blackwater, who else? Or, Bush just might order an F-16 bombing raid on New York and then declare a national emegency and suspend elelctions. His press statement:
July 9th, 2007 at 7:24 pm“Well, wtf ya gonna do about it?” Nothing is off the table for our lame ass in chief. Impeach now!
WC - The almost-extinct GOP’s “Big Three: God, Sex and Sin†can’t help them now. The people will laugh in their moronic faces this time.
Comment by veritas — July 9, 2007 @ 12:28 pm
We can only hope. Just last month on Flag Day, our Republican-biased local newspaper ran an editorial calling once again for an amendment to ban flag burning. I don’t know what is wrong with people…wait, yes I do. They are fkn ignorant. If this country and everything it stands for is going to be destroyed simply because a handful of fanatics burn a flag in public, then damn, this country is simply full of a bunch of pussies IMO.
I do wonder if our founding fathers, upon reaching a decision to make our independence from Britain official, said something like: “Quick! Before we can proceed, and before we create our Declaration of Independence and Constitution, we must take a piece of cloth and create a banner that represents all that we stand for. Without it, we are nothing and we will not survive the coming centuries as an independent entity.”
The flag is nothing but a damn symbol. We should be more concerned about losing WHAT it represents.
July 10th, 2007 at 1:19 amThe Blivet Presidency
July 10th, 2007 at 2:17 pm.
The majority of Americans, both highly informed and barely informed, are now comfortable stating that George W. Bush is incompetent.
The politically active voters are fully aware that what once passed for a Bush strength, that he rarely changed course, has now been unveiled as the cornerstone of his incompetence.
Over and over again he and his crew have offered political slogans in lieu of reasoned action policies only to be dragged to ignoble defeat and capitulation to the forces of reason allied against him.
An image comes to mind for me. Ten pounds of propaganda in a five pound bag, our very own “blivet” presidency.
“Hat Tip” to Karl Rove.
–cognitorex–