Rove Sees Hope for Republicans In Clinton’s Negatives
This article is from the archive of The New York Sun before the launch of its new website in 2022. The Sun has neither altered nor updated such articles but will seek to correct any errors, mis-categorizations or other problems introduced during transfer.
WASHINGTON — A White House political adviser, Karl Rove, said yesterday that he sees encouraging signs for the GOP in the public’s strong negative opinions of the Democratic presidential frontrunner, Senator Clinton, and the Democratic-run Congress.
“I do think the Republican Party is more in keeping with the attitudes and values of the American people,” President Bush’s departing chief political strategist said. Congress’s approval in an Associated Press-Ipsos poll this month stood at 25%, compared with 35% for Mr. Bush.
Mr. Rove has a vested interest in the outcome of the 2008 election, after predicting he could build a long-term Republican majority, only to watch as Democrats swept Republicans from power in Congress in voting last year.
Mr. Rove disputed suggestions that his brand of politics was intended to divide. He said the White House won bipartisan support on issues ranging from education and tax cuts and the war in Iraq. But strong Democratic resentment of Mr. Bush blocked other efforts, he said.
“There’s some Democrats who never accepted him as president after 2000,” Mr. Rove said.
Mr. Rove defended his political tactics, which opponents have labeled as divisive.
“The Democrats could routinely question the president’s integrity,” Mr. Rove said, but “when we call the Democrats for their statements and for their votes, somehow that’s wrong. I don’t get it.” Mr. Rove announced last week he would leave the Bush administration by the end of August, return to Texas, and spend more time with his family.
Mr. Rove said the field of Republicans seeking to succeed Mr. Bush offers the GOP “an excellent chance to keep the White House.” As Democratic hopefuls held a debate in Iowa, Mr. Rove appeared on three Sunday morning talk shows and stepped up his criticism of Mrs. Clinton, the New York senator and former first lady.
“She enters the general election campaign with the highest negatives of any candidate in the history of the Gallup poll,” he said.
“It just says people have made an opinion about her. It’s hard to change opinions once you’ve been a high-profile person in the public eye, as she has for 16 or 17 years.”
