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| Bush's top political strategist and deputy chief of staff, Karl Rove (r.), announced his resignation at a press conference
on Monday. Ron Edmonds/AP/file |
Rove departure marks end of era for White House
President Bush's political strategist strove to cement GOP control.
from the August 14, 2007 edition
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Rove never graduated from college himself. Instead, he entered professional politics at a young age, winning the post of chairman of the party's College Republicans organization.
As a political consultant, he distinguished himself with a style that might be considered sunny ferocity. He hammered at opponents' weaknesses, looking for just enough votes to prevail.
As Bush's chief political aide, Rove dreamed of leading a political realignment on the scale of President William McKinley's 1896 victory. Though perhaps under-appreciated today, McKinley's win cemented GOP control of the White House for a generation, after it had been wavering due to the excesses and faults of Gilded Age Republican leaders.
But Rove's effort arguably has fallen short, say some analysts, in part due to the unexpected problems of the Iraq War, and in part due to Rove's own missteps.
Following Bush's 2004 re-election, Rove was appointed deputy chief of staff for policy, and took on an explicit role in crafting White House policy decisions. He pushed for a transformation of Social Security via private retirement accounts. Yet Social Security remains a third rail of US politics, and the effort failed.
Rove also pressed for sweeping change in the nation's immigration system. He has long thought Hispanics a possible source of numerous GOP votes. But this year's immigration bill disintegrated under pressure from both left and right, and that effort appears moribund.
"It's a very mixed and controversial record, and that's the fairest summation," says Larry J. Sabato, director of the Center for Politics at the University of Virginia. If Rove's goal was realignment, "The evidence is clear that he failed, says Sabato.
Karl Rove's political career
•Current position: President Bush's deputy chief of staff, political strategist, and senior adviser. His resignation is effective Aug. 31.
•Political career began with the College Republicans in 1971.
•Worked on George H.W. Bush's presidential campaign in 1980.
•Began longtime partnership with George W. Bush in 1993 when he managed his campaign for Texas governor.
•"Architect" of 2000 and 2004 presidential election campaigns for Bush.
•Future plans: Expects to write a book and spend time with wife and son.
– Compiled by Leigh Montgomery
Sources: Associated Press, National Journal
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