Karl Rove: McCain's Way Ahead

In the October 13 edition of Newsweek, former senior adviser and deputy chief of staff to President Bush Karl Rove takes a look at the remaining weeks of the presidential campaign for John McCain and Sarah Palin.

Now, there's no doubt that Rove would be in the McCain - Palin camp, but his article is worth reading nonetheless. Writing a response to Jon Meachem's "The Palin Problem," Rove offers the following "principal arguments" for supporting Palin as the VP nominee: 1) Palin is the Governor of Alaska, responsible for an $11 billion operating budget, a nearly $2 billion capital budget, and close to 30,000 employees. As Rove points out, "...she's got more executive experience than any candidate for president or vice president this year." Plus, Rove says, she appeals to ordinary voters and has a track record of bucking the establishment.

It is Palin's connection with average Americans, Rove argues, that is her strongest asset, one that should be treated as such and not as a liability. And to contrast her with her counterpart on the Democratic ticket, Rove offers the following: "Even Democrats don't see Biden as president. He got 0.9 percent of the vote in the Iowa caucuses. Forced out of the 1988 White House race for plagiarizing, he is that blend of longevity and long-windedness that Washington accepts as statesmanship."

Rove understands that McCain and Palin are trying to buck the odds in this election. I mean, seriously, this race shouldn't even be close. With a deeply unpopular president, a fiercely opposed war, a deteriorating situation in Afghanistan, a slowing economy, the mortgage crisis, and the reluctance of Americans to let one party stay in the White House more than two terms, Obama should be running away with this thing. But he's not.

The reason offered by Rove: Americans are still unsure about Barack Obama's readiness to be president. Rove cites several polls to reinforce his assertion, including a Newsweek poll where 46 percent of respondents said Obama did not have enough experience, an ABC / Washington Post poll where 45 percent said Obama lacked the necessary experience, and a CBS News / New York Times poll where 45 percent of respondents said Obama was not well prepared enough to be president. The poll results seem to reflect the wariness of many Americans about the junior senator from Illinois.

Or as Rove puts it: "Barack Obama has less than half a term in the Senate, where he's proposed little, accomplished less and spent virtually every day campaigning - as if being on the trail is a principal qualification for president."

The strategy for McCain: reinforce the public's doubts with questions of "...character, judgment and values." Detail Obama's record, Rove says, which reveals "...a big spender, class warrior and cultural elitist."

But going negative isn't enough. A simultaneous positive message is needed as well. "McCain - Palin must offer a narrative about what they will do to help America see better days...." Rove says.

So Rove proposes a dual-track strategy, with equal emphasis on the positive and the negative. This is still Obama's race to lose, but the fact that it remains close a month out gives McCain - Palin something to be hopeful about.