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February 10, 2012
Lisa M. Krieger: Man with defibrillator demands access to his own heart's information
David G. Savage: Why activists may not be in a hurry to have High Court rule on alternative marriage
February 9, 2012
Laura McMullen: 10 Least Expensive Public Schools for Out-of-State Students
Kimberly Palmer: How to actually enjoy -- relaxing, financially -- your vacation
February 8, 2012
Warren Richey: Why momentous Prop. 8 ruling might not satisfy gay-rights groups
Menachem Wecker: Though Controversial, LL.M.'s Can Lead to Specialized Legal Jobs
The Kosher Gourmet byDana Velden: Going to the bother of making soup? You know it better be good. This CREAM OF TOMATO SOUP certainly is! And it's a cinch to make, too (Includes techinques and serving secrets)
February 7, 2012
Frank J. Gaffney, Jr.: Caught off-guard? President's Super Bowl interview with Matt Lauer gives those who need a reason not to vote for him, a darn good one
Suzanne Bohan: Leaping lizards! Tiny reptiles advancing robot design
February 6, 2012
Jonathan Tobin: Iran Threatens Israel With Destruction, But the New York Times Doesn't Hear It
Jeffrey Fleishman: In newly democratic Egypt, tens of democracy activists jailed, to stand trial; their groups are 'threatening the stability of the homeland'
Julie Deardorff : Researchers say antioxidants may not be that effective and could do more harm than good
Mark Clayton: How did Anonymous hackers eavesdrop on FBI and Scotland Yard?
February 3, 2012
Edmund Sanders : Israeli official says Iran is creating missile that could reach East Coast of US
Victoria Kim: Immigrant-smuggling ring used black drivers to avoid racial profiling
February 2, 2012
Jim Carney: Wrong number call may have saved her life
Reza Kahlili : Ex-CIA spy in Iran's Revolutionary Guard: What Obama doesn't grasp about striking deals with Tehran
Tina Susman: For woodchuck rescuer, every day is Groundhog Day
February 1, 2012
Brian Bennett: US officials see increasing threat of domestic attack from Iran
Emily Brandon: How to Take Advantage of New 401(k) Fee Disclosures
January 31, 2012
January 30, 2012
Paul Richter and Ramin Mostaghim: Misreading Teheran's limits -- deadly and economically devastating as they may be -- is a risk administration, Europe seem willing to take
Suzanne Bohan: Warning: Nap-deprived tots missing more than sleep, study finds
Meg Handley: Banks Revamping Rewards Programs to Woo Customers
January 27, 2012
Caroline B. Glick: Obama: Of course I intend to prevent a nuclear holocaust . . . in a few months
Yochonon Donn: In liberal New York City, fervently-Orthodox Jews may soon be getting a district to call their own
Jeannine Stein: An inflated ego and thinking you're 'all that' doesn't just make others sick of you, it can make you ill
Katy Hopkins: New budget rules may affect how much money you get for college
January 26, 2012
Ed Koch: To the New York Times, calling for the murder of Jews by those capable of having their incitement taken seriously isn't news
Jeannine Stein: Mental illness struck one in five U.S. adults in 2010: Report
January 25, 2012
Richard Simon: House passes two bills endorsing the use of religious symbols at military memorials
Fred Weir: Putin: Multiethnic Russia cannot survive as a US-style 'melting pot'; must find its own way
Susan Johnston: 5 Sneaky Coupon Strategies Consumers Should Watch Out For
January 24, 2012
Carol Clark: The price of your soul: How your brain decides whether to 'sell out'
Caroline B. Glick: America lost most in 'Arab Spring'. Sadly, many voters still don't grasp the extent
Warren Richey: Drug criminal scores win in GPS ruling from conservative-leaning high court
Erika Bolstad: Black conservatives gather to talk about gaining strength
January 23, 2012
Melissa Dribben: Jewish voters to play a key role in Florida's Republican primary
Jordan Rau: In quest to grow, Catholic hospital system will announce this morning its break from church
Ali Safi: U.S. envoy gives Taliban terms for peace talks
January 19, 2012
January 18, 2012
January 17, 2012
Frank J. Gaffney Jr.: No-kidding red lines: U.S. response to an Iranian nuke may be bluster, but Israel's won't be
David G. Savage: They sued their principals after slandering them online --- now the cases are headed to the Supreme Court
David Francis: Where to Invest in 2012: With stocks expected to rebound, opportunity abounds for investors
January 13, 2012
Ben Lynfield: Israeli lawmakers move to annex Jewish Judea, one museum at a time
Alexia Elejalde-Ruiz: Thriving through touch: Gentle massage helps older people with low mobility improve in mind and body
January 12, 2012
Warren Richey: Landmark Supreme Court ruling a 'resounding win' for religious groups
Warren Richey: Supreme Court says no to new rule on eyewitness testimony
John Fauber : Statins found to raise diabetes risk in postmenopausal women
Katy Hopkins : Consider This Before You Pay for an Online Degree
The Kosher Gourmet by Joseph Erdos: This mushroom and barley soup has an intense -- almost nutty -- flavor that mixes robust with Middle East. It has creaminess without cream
January 11, 2012
Shari Roan: Millions of atrial fibrillation sufferers at risk for devastating, but preventable, stroke
Tom Hussain: Pakistan -- recipient of more than $21 billion in civilian and military aid -- speeds pursuit of Iranian pipeline, defying US
David G. Savage: High court signals it won't be loosening TV's 'indecency' rules
Stephen Ceasar: Oklahoma's Islamic law amendment can't go into effect, court rules
January 10, 2012
Reza Kahlili: From an ex-CIA spy: US must exploit new split in Iran's Revolutionary Guard
Karen Kaplan: Study: Nicotine replacement products ineffective when used in real-life situations
January 9, 2012
Michael Doyle: Put through legal hell over dream home, couple fought back hard --- all the way to Supreme Court
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Jewish World Review
May 5, 2005
/ 26 Nissan, 5765
If you listen to someone in the know, 2008 is going to be the common-man campaign
By
Robert Robb
http://www.JewishWorldReview.com |
Political consultants, at least a few at the top, have emerged from the
backrooms and become public celebrities of sorts.
And certainly at the top of the heap these days is Karl Rove, architect of
President Bush's Electoral College victory in 2000, and his victory in both
the Electoral College and the popular vote in 2004.
I had a chance to discuss politics with Rove last week when he was in town
for a fundraiser for Sen. Jon Kyl's reelection bid in 2006.
The influence of political consultants is generally overestimated. Usually,
elections are the result of voters making a decision about the basic
direction they want on a few fundamental issues.
But there is an expertise in marketing political ideas and personas, as
there is in marketing other things. And Rove has certainly earned his
position at the pinnacle by pulling off what was thought to be an
improbable feat: A Republican victory in a high-turnout election.
After the 2000 election, Rove was reportedly struck by the fact that Bush
ran behind what polls indicated would be the margin in many states,
including Arizona.
He fixated on improving voter turnout among Republicans, developing a
volunteer-intensive voter contact program, particularly in the closing days
of a campaign. The program was tested in the 2002 congressional elections,
with good results.
In 2004, Democrats invested more in voter identification and turnout
efforts than ever before. They even somehow obtained a copy of Rove's plan,
as revealed in Bryon York's new book, The Vast Left Wing Conspiracy (Click HERE to purchase. Sales help fund JWR.).
High voter turnout is thought to favor Democrats. And Democrats generally
met or exceeded their turnout goals in battleground states. But Rove's
program outperformed that of the Democrats, and Bush won the popular vote
by a surprising margin.
That makes Rove King of the Hill at least until the next election.
Getting Rove to go beyond spin in discussing contemporary issues is futile,
not surprising since he is one of the designers of the spin.
For example, he says that Bush was "appropriately specific" about his two
top domestic priorities for a second term Social Security reform and tax
reform during the campaign.
Perhaps so, if the goal was reelection. But not so, if the goal was a
mandate specific enough to get a reluctant Congress to act, as is being
amply demonstrated by the current Social Security debate.
But on broader political trends, Rove is more effusive.
For example, he does not believe that the country is destined for a period
of closely and bitterly divided politics, as many analysts do. Instead, he
believes that Republicans are already gaining the upper hand, pointing to
the unprecedented gains in Congress for a party holding the presidency in
the 2002 off-elections, as well as the gains in the Senate in 2004.
In Rove's view, this is in part because the Democrats have become the party
dedicated to the defense of the status quo.
That's an interesting prism through which to view, for example, the Social
Security debate. It appears that the President is losing the debate pretty
badly, as support for his signature personal retirement accounts slips in
opinion polls and in Congress.
But, if Rove is right, the Democrats may be hurting themselves politically
in the long run as well, with their all-criticism, no-solutions approach.
After all, when it comes time to choose leadership for the country, voters
may prefer those who are pitching solutions, even if they aren't keen on
all the particulars, to those who have nothing to offer but an
unsustainable status quo.
It's also a useful prism through which to view the debate over
filibustering judges. The American people just don't understand why
presidential picks for the bench shouldn't get an up-or-down vote.
The conventional wisdom among Republicans is that Hillary Clinton will be
the Democratic nominee in 2008. And the conventional wisdom among political
handicappers is that you need a star to compete with a star, which has
floated the names of Arizona Sen. John McCain and former New York Mayor
Rudy Giuliani to the top of the Republican list.
Rove won't discuss 2008 presidential aspirants. But he does make an
interesting observation about the trend in presidential nominating
politics.
He thinks 2008 might depart from what he describes as the 80s and 90s
model, in which candidates parlay national standing and status into the
nomination. Reagan, Bush I, and Dole were all national political figures
when they began their quest for the nomination.
Instead, Rove thinks there might be a reversion back to what he describes
as the 60s model, in which candidates earn support by grassroots, retail
politicking.
If so, the candidates who will ultimately have the inside track aren't
necessarily those on the talk shows, but those making connections with
party and conservative cause activists.
In other words, those tending to the same political gardens Rove cultivated
to beat the Democrats at the turnout game.
Every weekday JewishWorldReview.com publishes what many in in the media and Washington consider "must-reading". Sign up for the daily JWR update. It's free. Just click here.
JWR contributor Robert Robb is a columnist for The Arizona Republic. Comment by clicking here.
Robert Robb Archives
© 2005, The Arizona Republic
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