Nov 7
Could Rove do it for the Tories?
Matthew D’Ancona contemplates whether or not Karl Rove could do for Michael Howard what he did for George Bush. The piece encapsulates a discussion that has been going on amongst many a hack in the UK. Of course, one question is: if Rove were to offer his help would Howard & Co take it?
Oh yeah, Steyn is firing on all cylinders as well. Cracking stuff!
6 Comments so far
Unfortunately the Great British public are never going to vote for the sort of agenda which George Bush ran on. Rove was able, for example, to get out the white evangelical vote – in this country the white Christian vote is virtually invisible. The dominant cultural values in this country (BBC/Guardian) are inimical to religious faith (unless it’s Islamic, Hindu or Sikh).
BTW Andrew could you please use a spell checker? So many misspellings do tend to distract from what you’re trying to say.
Ack, I stuck a u in amongst again? Wtf is it with same mistakes over and over again?
Karl Rove’s genius is not some mythical ability to mobilize the “white evangelical vote,” but his ability to coble together a majority. Much of Bushs margin of victory can be accounted for by Republican inroads made into the traditionally Democratic Hispanic vote.
If David H. is so picky, how come he doesn’t have his own blog ?! If one doesn’t like the housekeeping here, read someplace else, then!
The answer, Andrew, is no, Rove couldn’t do it. Forget religion, though. Social conservativism is the more likely actor. Today, of course, as a foundation of British life it has lost its pre-eminence to the politics of pleasure. Well, you know, what goes around and all that. People will get sick of excess masquerading as liberty. Eventually, there will be a reassessment followed by a general recognition that such dull social goals as childhood stability and personal responsibility are socially vivyfying, and that matters more and is more personally fulfilling that the life we have today. At that time new political possibilities will arise. Until then, though, the Mr Rove might as well stay Stateside.
Howard’s weak, wet and wobbly.
He stands for nothing, and won’t win. Hope someone else takes over after we loose the next election.