The Karl Rove/Clinton Gambit

My apologies for not posting anything in recent days. A brutal combination of illness and my day job intervened.

I did want to at least post my theory about Karl Rove's recent commentary regarding Hillary Clinton's "high negatives." Obviously, Senator Clinton being on the receiving end of Rove's attention is beneficial to her campaign and Rove knows this. Naturally, this leads to speculation that Rove wants Senator Clinton to prevail in next year's primaries because he perceives her as the Democrats weakest candidate. Senator Clinton's defenders will no doubt claim Rove's attention illustrates she is the strongest candidate and Rove wants her softened up.

This is my take. Rove knows that among the three Democrats perceived among the establishment as most likely to be nominated, Barack Obama, John Edwards and Senator Clinton, she is the most likely to maintain a long term American presence in Iraq. Although Clinton has adjusted her rhetoric about the war and her vote in 2002 to become more palatable to core Democratic voters, she once again was cautious about implementing a withdrawal during yesterday's debate in Iowa.

Rove meanwhile may be thinking that if the next President pulls out of Iraq, Bush's legacy will lose any remaining chance to be salvaged. He also knows the GOP is headed toward its worst defeat since 1964. Hence, the highest probability for staying in Iraq after the election and vindicating the Bush/Cheney immoral war of choice is Hillary Clinton. At least that's probably how Karl Rove sees it.