Karl Rove may have returned to his role as neutral analyst on Fox News but anyone who knows anything about politics also knows that he has formed a new SuperPac designed to prevent “non-electable” Republicans (think Todd Akin and Christine O’Donnell) from getting nominated. That has provoked long-simmering Republican resentments against Rove to erupt. Saturday night, Mike Huckabee took to the Fox News airwaves and went straight after "some people in the conservative movement and the Republican Party" who "think our way forward is to manipulate the primary process."
Huckabee couched his attack as an explanation about why a visit to Syracuse University heartened him about the future of conservatism. But in short order, Huckabee started sniping against “some of the adults who think they’re in charge.”
I’ve been a little disgusted to hear that some people in the conservative movement and the Republican Party think our way forward is to manipulate the primary process by trying to destroy good and decent Republican candidates with boatloads of big money so as to ensure that we end up nominating establishment Republicans instead of movement conservatives. The fratricide approach of the establishment, to spend money to attack those of the conservative wing of the Republican family will prove catastrophic.
OK, I’m fine with raising and spending money to elect the Republicans you like. But why would any Republican want to do the dirty work of the Democrats and destroy a fellow Republican?
Huckabee contrasted this with the students at Syracuse who “know what they’re for and not just what they’re against.” Although, he said he went there to encourage the college Republicans (“who are definitely in the minority” on campus) Huckabee said he received a dose of encouragement from them.
Huckabee never named Rove nor the SuperPac but it’s hard to believe viewers didn’t know exactly whom he meant.
His commentary got an enthusiastic round of applause from the audience.
Ergo, if Fox News had keep their mouths shut… Rove would have failed hard. But now, he has a victim card, and he can play those better than any man alive- especially since the few men who could give him a run for the money are retired/no longer with us.
This last election cycle, the GOP’s “faithful” found themselves stuck between having to choose between their “social conservative” wing and their “economic conservative” wing. Throughout the primaries, Mittens was roundly derided by the social conservatives (represented by Bachmann, Perry and Santorum) who claimed he wasn’t a “real” conservative. Meanwhile, there were economic conservatives who weren’t happy with Mittens, either but they saw him as far more preferable than the social conservative nutjobs.
Then, there was the resounding defeat of the Tea Party in Indiana in November. The Teabaggers managed to dump Lugar in the primary, but were soundly beaten in the general election (had the Teabaggers not gotten rid of Lugar, the GOP would’ve retained that Senate seat). Of course, Mourdock’s inane comments on rape didn’t really help but, considering he still got 44% of the statewide vote, they obviously didn’t hurt him too much.
