Rove Forecasts Perfect Storm For Obama, Democrats

In the WSJ Karl Rove warns of a potential perfect storm headed toward Obama and the Democrats. But he's fairly prudent and not sounding nearly as cocky as the Democrats were back on inauguration day. He sums up Obama's challenges and actual missteps over nine months in even tones, while acknowledging that if Obama doesn't find a way to right the ship, the Democrats could end up sinking like a stone come 2010. Meanwhile, over on the Left, some are beginning to question where all that audacity has gone. Hard to blame them. After fighting so hard to supposedly take their party back, it can't feel very good watching Obama give it away in his first nine months. 

Presidents always encounter rough patches. What is unusual is how soon Mr. Obama has hit his. He has used up almost all his goodwill in less than nine months, with the hardest work still ahead. At the year's start, Democrats were cocky. At summer's end, concern is giving way to despair. A perfect political storm is amassing, and heading straight for Democrats.

Funny how things can change when one actually has to produce something besides lovely words on a campaign stump. Though with his newly announced prime time address, Obama seems stuck on the campaign trail in some ways. He never did roll up his sleeves and get to work in the Senate. He started running for president as soon as he got there.

Add to that all the present votes back in Chicago, and some may soon begin to ask if Obama is the type of guy who can produce anything, or the type that simply likes to hear himself talk. There isn't much left to run for once you reach the top. Was Obama so good that he got there too soon?

The next six months could answer that question to some degree, though even then, he'd have three years to get his act together before a re-election bid. If he doesn't get it together, I suppose he could run himself right out of the WH after only one term. It's far too soon to tell for now.

Comments

[Ran]

"At the year's start, Democrats were cocky. At summer's end, concern is giving way to despair. A perfect political storm is amassing, and heading straight for Democrats."

Rove misses the obvious... the very reason for Democrat cockiness. Under master Architect Rove and brilliant philosoph Bush, the Republicans squandered their own political capital with their libertarian-oriented base, starting in the early Spring of 2000 - the Kennedy-Bush No Kid's Left Behind Act. Under Rove's deft guidance, the Republicans fortunes in Congress went from a "permanent majority" (sic!) to the present Democrat dominance in both Houses and the White House.

The Democrats thought they had a winning message. In reality, it was sheer Republican incompetence that held their adversaries at bay. Both Parties made the error of shifting leftwards - too far leftwards. To the point where both Parties are loosing registered support. It is telling that the plurality of American voters are registered independents, at something around 40%.

That storm is amassing against the Republicans, too, thanks specifically to Rove and to Gerson and the entire Squish Coalition. The Republican Elite that so naively played to the cherished "center" forgot both their own principled base and the blocs of "center" voters looking for a viable alternative to the Democrat Left.

Markets love a vacuum: Failure of the Republicans under Rove & Co. has opened opportunities for libertarian and 'Libertarian' candidates to fill the void. Grassroots dollars are no longer flowing in large volumes to RNC coffers. A huge portion of those are going directly to vetted conservative and libertarian campaigns. One prime example is Congressman Bachmann of Minnesota.

If markets love a vacuum, both Parties suck. The Tea Party movement is as much a rebellion against the Republicans as it is a rebellion against Congress and the WH.

Prognosis? This could be a disaster for the leadership of both Parties. It will be interesting to see who replaces Obama as Democratic candidate in '12. Bets it will be someone closer to the center than Hillary?

I know one thing for sure: In the Republican camp, the "crucible of public discourse" will be a huge smoking hole in the ground starring Squishes. We are looking to nominate many Reagans for the White House and both federal Houses and especially at State and local levels.

Rove can crow on about the looming storm for Democrats all he wants. But quite frankly, it was he who busted ground on that big smoking hole in the ground.

[smitty]

Now, maybe I'm just a sucker for squid references, but the end of the Bismarck comes to mind.

[PA]

People with NPD don't follow through, and recoil from the thought of having to do hard work. They do know how to talk a wonderful story though.

[WAHOO WILLIE]

"In reality, it was sheer Republican incompetence that held their adversaries at bay."

@Ran; The repubs had eight years to build on their base but fell off a left corner. In the end all they could give us for a candidate was John McCain and many like myself found themselves trying to pick between a socialist and an anti-conservative. In droves we wrote in or sought libertarian candidates. Now, as we donn chains we can believe in, all we hear from the repugnicans is Sarah Palin, another less than sterling choice. The demonrats may be correct; conservatism is dead.

[Ran]

That was deep, Smitty.

[Ran]

Willie, we don't need sterling choices. That's why we're conservatives. It isn't about the next Reagan... It's about millions of Reagans and Palins running and vetting and supporting candidates at town state and federal levels.

The Tea Parties are conservative; We draw from disaffected Democrats and Repubes, we draw from centrists simply looking for a fiscally sane alternative.

There is also a healthy growing libertarian revival in the Repube camp. Dig blog friends over at http://www.libertarianrepublican.blogspot.com/

We don't need sterling, man. We need ordinary with reliable values, that's all. Give us the chance to govern ourselves and we won't need a great "leader."

[scarshapedstar]

Well, if Karl "Permanent Republican Majority" Rove says it, it must come true!