Karl Rove: Obama Was ‘Lucky’ That Hurricane Sandy Hit

[kpete]

Source: Think Progress

Karl Rove: Obama Was ‘Lucky’ That Hurricane Sandy Hit
By Aviva Shen on Nov 8, 2012 at 9:08 am

In a Wall Street Journal op-ed on Thursday, GOP fundraiser and former strategist Karl Rove claims that Hurricane Sandy, which devastated the eastern seaboard a week before Election Day, was “lucky” for President Obama in his successful bid for reelection. The op-ed was published just a day after Rove disputed Fox News’ call for Obama’s win in Ohio and the election, sending the network into confusion on live TV. Despite his initial refusal to accept Obama’s reelection, Rove writes today that Obama won because of fundraising, negative campaigning, and a convenient break from Hurricane Sandy:



The president was also lucky. This time, the October surprise was not a dirty trick but an act of God. Hurricane Sandy interrupted Mr. Romney’s momentum and allowed Mr. Obama to look presidential and bipartisan.

The GOP candidate himself also apparently blames the storm for his loss. Mitt Romney reportedly told donors at a Wednesday breakfast that Hurricane Sandy hurt his momentum. MSNBC commentator Chris Matthews also credited the storm with “possibilities for good politics,” though he later apologized.



Though Republicans believe the storm damaged Romney’s momentum, Sandy’s political impact may have had more to do with Obama’s rapid response to the storm, which 77 percent of Americans praised. Moreover, Romney’s alleged momentum was already slowing; his favorability ratings began gradually declining after his first debate against the president. In Sandy’s aftermath, Romney was widely criticized for an insensitive “storm relief” rally in Ohio, where his campaign staff staged donations and took photos of the candidate posing with canned goods.

Read more: http://thinkprogress.org/election/2012/11/08/1162201/karl-rove-obama-was-lucky-that-hurricane-sandy-hit/

[liberal N proud]

1. Pffft!

[democratXX]

2. Convenient excuse for being totally wrong!!!

[ProudProgressiveNow]

90. +1 nt

[GETTINGTIRED]

3. Silly Fool

Really? A hurricane lucky for anybody....please shut your pie hole Karl....

[LoisB]

76. My sentiments exactly. People died, people lost their homes...no one was "lucky".

[SemperEadem]

4. Hurricane Sandy was to the republicans

what the Hurricane of 1588 was to the Spanish Armada.

All that storm did was scatter the children off the playground and left the two adults (President and Christie) to handle the aftermath and that is what the sensible adults across this country saw. They saw that the President could lead, could work across the aisle when the rabble of the thug party could not interfere in the process. Who in their right mind thought that Christie was going to turn his constituents out to shift for themselves when he's going to be having to ask for their vote next year?

[global1]

5. On The Contrary - Karl Rove Was Lucky Sandy Hit.....

now he can use "an act of God" for his excuse as to why Rmoney lost and not the fact that the bulk of American People are fed up with Karl Rove and his antics and big money.

[caraher]

33. Rove better hope his sponsors are so forgiving

You're right - that's the one straw he can clutch at. Though they'd have to be pretty stupid to believe their own propaganda - there was no winning Mittmentum even before Sandy.

[femrap]

60. KKKarl's career

as Repugnant Strategist is over. Put a pitchfork in him, he's DONE!

Just think of all that money these billionaires and Corporations spent and they got NOTHING! Might as well have used that money to pay taxes!

[CoffeeCat]

6. Mitt never had any momentum toward the end though...

As usual, Karl Rove writes an op-ed that is based on underlying suppositions that are dead wrong.

Rove suggests that the hurricane stopped Mitt's momentum. Mitt never had any momentum. This was a campaign meme, designed to create enthusiasm for Romney and propel the base to the polls. However, the facts and the polls did not support this momentum.

The polls--that weren't partisan PR tools for the Republican machine--very clearly and specifically spelled out exactly the election outcome that we saw on election night. Obama had sturdy, but small leads, in most of the swing states.

Rove just can't step away from the Republican talking points.

He's trying to save his own ass, which was damaged more than the East Coast was in the hurricane. Rove has no credibility any more, and this bizarre op-ed isn't going to help him.

[They_Live]

7. Maybe Karl and Rush

could have a contest to see just who is the ugliest American.

Also. if you rearrange your last name, Karl, it spells OVER.

[ChairmanAgnostic]

8. The dog ate my ballot.

I had a power failure.
I could not find my keys.
It was a fluke.
They stole it from us.
Too many n*****s voted.
Christie stabbed us in the back.

[Patiod]

86. I'm mostly hearing the next-to-last one

Not enough "real people" any more - too many black and latino voters

[ChairmanAgnostic]

96. Sigh. Today's amerikkka.

[loudsue]

9. Then why aren't the republicans saying that since it was an "act of God", God wanted Obama?

Their usual spin would have been something like that.

[BobbyBoring]

38. Like everything else

It's only applicable when it favors them~

[mac56]

41. Because Republicans are less troubled by hypocrisy than normal people are.

[Plucketeer]

46. Great idea!

God must'a wanted Akin and Mourdoch's crazy notions to fail to come to the fore as well! I could almost abandon my atheis ways if God keeps this up!

[mary195149]

10. It's not about the hurricane,

It's about how Obama passed the test at the time of need.
Obama showed what a great leader he is.
If it would of been handled like Katrina was, we we now have Romney as President. Bush was dealt the same hand with Katrina. He failed miserably!

[olegramps]

11. I hope that they continue to delude themselves.

While they search desperately for an excuse to explain their loss, they will continue to fail to address the real reason for their demise. The only segment of the population that supports them is older white males. The statistics reveal that they are doomed to become extinct. I don't believe that they will be able to change their destiny because they have become the party of the radical evangelical Taliban, racists and hate mongers. White males for 18 to 45 years old support liberal issues and voted for Democrats. They have alienated all the minorities and women. If they abandon their extreme right wing base they are left with nothing.

[Turbineguy]

23. Since their whole approach

to all things is based on bullshit anyway, this is likely to continue.

And I like being an older white male who is not in their demographic.

[mac56]

42. "And I like being an older white male who is not in their demographic."

True that, brother.

[codjh9]

73. I second that, guys.

[Blue Owl]

12. He'll never apologize for that statement either.

Shows just what kind of slime he is.

[yellowcanine]

13. The evidence for the so-called Romney "Momentum" was skewed right wing and Gallup polls

which have been proven false by post election vindication of Nate Silver and other analysts who insisted all along that Romney's high point was Oct 11 and polls were moving in Obama's direction since that time. Sandy may have helped a little but only at the margins. In any case, any marginal late movement in the polls was completely swamped in the battleground states by the Team Obama GOTV efforts. Every pundit except Rove, apparently, accepts that analysis of the results.

[DinahMoeHum]

14. Boy it's fun to watch Karl Rove try to spin it around.

Payback sucks, don't it?
And it sucks to be you right now, Karl.

[Dem2TheCore]

15. Whatev.

[Jim__]

16. Karl was lucky that Hurricane Sandy hit - it gave him his excuse. - n/t

[yends21012]

17. Rove backpedaling furiously

He is going to back pedal harder and faster as more info gets out. Obama chose not to throw him in jail. The rich RW won't have any hesitation.

[yardwork]

18. Rove is a psychopath.

[Bonhomme Richard]

19. Simply..An Act of God. n/t

[backtoblue]

20. So, can we then assume that God wanted Obama to win?

Since climate change isn't real and these catastrophes are the act of a wrathful God?

Boy do the conservatives think they're right no matter what happens.

[leftyohiolib]

21. this is the excuse he'll give to the donors - romney would have won were it not for that meddling

storm

[AzDar]

22. He's completely repulsive... and after Tuesday, completely irrelevant.

[truthisfreedom]

24. Carl who?

[Iliyah]

25. Where is Pat Robertson???

Didn't he say that it will be GOD's will who wins the election?

Shut the fuck up Karl - the Mafia is eying you - LOL

[louis-t]

45. I can just see Pat Robertson squinting his eyes and proclaiming

that "this is a test from God to see how much the faithful can tolerate".

[julian09]

26. The real momentum was a backlash on voter surpression, Romney's lies about JEEP, woman's rights,

fair tax rates, wars.

[Botany]

27. Perfect example of why the republicans lost

1) How could anybody say a horrible storm that killed 100 people and hurt
millions is a good thing?

b) In what world was N.J., NY, MD, DE, MA, and those others states going
to go for Romney?

[Danmel]

28. As a resident of hard-hit Long Island

I wish our luck on Karl Rove.
What an asshole-more than 100,000 people have lost their homes, 40+ people have died, power remains out to more than 200,000 people on Long Island in sub-freezing temps, we can't get gasoline. It is not "lucky" by any stretch of the imagination.

[William Seger]

29. An act of GOD, Carl! An act of GOD!

What does it take for Him to get through to you?!

Actually, of course, if the storm made any difference at all, it was Obama springing to action to help people while Romney sprang to a photo op. If Republicans are going to recover from this defeat, they need to start by recognizing what a seriously flawed candidate they picked from a truckload of seriously flawed candidates.

[LuvLoogie]

30. Romney had an opportunity to act and look presidential.

How difficult would it have been to ask the GOP/Romney Campaign offices in the storm zone to coordinate volunteer relief efforts like Occupy is doing?

[louis-t]

48. Uh, he could have written a big check to the Red Cross.

He did not.

[LuvLoogie]

91. If he did it anonymously, we wouldn't know.

That seems out of character, however. Both could have been done. The point is that the need caused by Sandy provided anyone so inclined an opportunity to contribute. Hell, it would have been better for Romney to keep his campaign schedule and open and close his rallies with encouraging on-line red cross contributions.

The flip side of Romney's ruthlessness is his fragility. Ann Romney gave us a hint. Perhaps he has no true compassion for anyone other than his own family because they are the only ones he trusts. He should be content to concentrate on being rich Grandpa Mitt, where he can do the most good and do no harm.

[wordpix]

98. he donated $5K in goods for his photo op, though

or at least, his campaign made the donation. Pretty small donation for a guy worth $250 million, who's been hiding lots of money away without paying taxes and who gave each of his kids a $100 million gift.

[caraher]

31. The hurricane could have worked against Obama

No luck involved... just competent government.

Had it truly been "Obama's Katrina" - and a botched response would have had that outcome - we'd all be talking about how Sandy gave Romney the White House. Heck, had Katrina hit in 2004 we might have been spared Bush's second term - Bush was just as "lucky" Katrina came later!

Sandy was a timely reminder that Reagan's gag about the scariest words being, "I'm from the government and I'm here to help," is ideological BS. It highlighted a very stark, real, legitimate policy difference between Romney and Obama. Romney belittled action against climate change at the RNC and advocated taking things like disaster response out of the hands of the federal government. Obama put professionals in charge of FEMA and got involved in the response before the storm even hit.

That ain't luck. That's superior, reality-based leadership.

[forestpath]

32. What an inhuman asshole. Sandy had nothing to do with it, either.

[VWolf]

34. So, either you're full of shit, or

God wanted Obama to be re-elected.

Which one is it?

[XtopherXtopher]

83. both of course! :)

then again i couldn't care less what any god thinks, especially one that sends hurricanes to my city...

[cleduc]

35. Dr Wang & Nate on the subject

http://election.princeton.edu/history-of-electoral-votes-for-obama/



Date of third debate was October 22, 2012.

On October 29th, 8pm, a week after the 3rd debate, Sandy came ashore
http://newswatch.nationalgeographic.com/2012/11/02/a-timeline-of-hurricane-sandys-path-of-destruction/
and Obama gets a little bump that also falls away a bit shortly afterwards.

Nate also reviewed this question:
http://fivethirtyeight.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/11/05/nov-4-did-hurricane-sandy-blow-romney-off-course/
and more or less, had very roughly similar conclusions as Dr. Wang.

But note: Obama was never behind in either of those projections at any time since Romney was nominated. And again, Sandy didn't provide a colossal bump for Obama nor a bump that stuck.

Rove's public analysis of the effect by Sandy on the election is about as accurate and honest as his original prediction on who would win. He has to say that in the wake of hosing the billionaires of hundreds of millions of dollars for a campaign of lies that based it's chances on more lies to get that money in the first place.

Once again, the GOP is trying to go with the rhetoric to scream as loudly as they can over the facts.

[agentS]

36. That excuse won't save his ass with the donors

who are mad at him for blowing 390 million dollars on Super PAC ads that swayed 0 races.

Sure TurdBlossom, blame the storm....

Too bad Mitt took his own ass out of the race with Hurricane bullshit.
I knew he wasn't going to win since the primary, but what really sealed the deal with me was the town hall debate and
"Please proceed, Governor."
He was toast after that.

It's not our problem if KKKarl Rove and DDDick Morris can't read polls other than Rasmussen and Gallup.

[tidepooler]

37. Well...we knew that was coming...n/t

[WeekendWarrior]

39. They missed a word in a crucial sentence

I've added it for clarity:

"This time, the October surprise was not a dirty trick but an act of God. Hurricane Sandy interrupted Mr. Romney’s FAUX momentum"

[Fresh_Start]

40. Rove was lucky Sandy hit

otherwise he wouldn't have enough excuses for his miserable failure

[RainDog]

43. Mother Nature sent a message to Republicans: WAKE THE FUCK UP

and stop playing politics and profit with serious issues - be a world leader, not a freaking rubber stamp for some creep at an oil company.

[cstanleytech]

44. And of course the BS from you republicans these past 4 years had nothing to do with it Karl.

[Javaman]

47. Meh, rover resorts to school yard accusations.

so what else is new?

[PA Democrat]

49. So Hurricane Katrina helped Bush?

If Katrina had occurred in 2008 rther than 2005, I doubt that Bush would have been reelected. Bush's response to Katrina was a big FAIL.

[madrchsod]

50. hey karl...axlerod kicked your fuck`n ass in two elections

he did`t need the supremes or rigged machines to do it.

i suggest you just fade away into the sunset.

[sarcasmo]

51. Didn't tweety release an apology for saying the same thing?

[Marrah_G]

53. yes

[spiderpig]

52. Mr. Sensitivity strikes again.

Why don't he and his nasty cluster of cronies just go away?

[Proud Liberal Dem]

54. What a BS meme

Romney's pundit-/poll-driven "momentum" was already petering out by the time that the storm hit and it changed absolutely nothing IMHO. WHAT did it change exactly? 332 electoral votes is not exactly a "squeaker".

The truth of the matter is that President Obama was well-positioned THE ENTIRE RACE to win an EV majority. The only polls that the right focused on were the national PV polls that showed the race tied or Romney slightly ahead- while the individual state polls showed a consistent advantage for President Obama. Hurricane Sandy didn't noticeably change anything. Romney wasn't on track to win in the first place!

[subterranean]

55. Michael "heckuva job" Brown did his part to help

by emerging from his hole briefly to remind everyone of the contrast between his and Bush's slow response to Katrina and Obama's "too early" response to Sandy.

[montanto]

56. typical bully refrain

"you're lucky my mom is calling or I'd kick your ass."

Obama is also "lucky" he dealt with Sandy's aftermath.

Lucky my ass.

[BE10sCoach]

57. Hey Karl

your lucky that you got paid for the crappy job you did. You pulled a great scam on the Koch Bros, Adelson etc. LOL

[Diclotican]

58. kpete

kpete

Karl Rove have to be able to explain it in some way - that most americans would not have anything with Romney to do - and now they are playing the card, that Sandy is the reason Obama got a new period in the white house..

How sad they are - for the fact, that enough americans was tired of the republicans - and was willing to give Obama another round in the White House... As they say so many times when Jr got into office in 2000 and 2004 GET OVER IT!!...

Diclotican

[bulloney]

59. Typical Republican showing his true colors in not accepting responsibility for his mistakes.

Here's a new one to add to the list: The hurricane ate my homework.

Never mind that the tracking by Nate Silver had been proven right-on the money while the RW pundits were deluding themselves and their sheep into believing Romney would draw over 300 electoral votes.

If I was one of those RW media sheep and saw how far they misled me, I'd question whether they've been misleading me in other things, and for how long. But then again, if I was one of those RW media sheep, my brain probably wouldn't be capable of processing that type of information.

[DisgustipatedinCA]

61. So it's God's fault. Isn't that the same thing as God's will?

You don't get to apply the "god's will" bullshit in pick-and-choose fashion. Oh, and Karl? It's also god's will that your hourly billing rate just took a precipitous nosedive.

[ladjf]

62. Did you hear something? "No, that's just a roach running across the floor." nt

[randome]

63. "It was raining, for Pete's sake! Now leave me alone!"

[Kingofalldems]

64. Special Prosecutor needed re Karl Rove

[ladjf]

65. It was God's will. nt

sarcasm

[cosmicone]

66. It is time to slaughter

and make ham, bacon and sausages out of KKKarl Rove.

[struggle4progress]

67. Rove is lucky we don't imprison people for being a-holes

[wordpix]

99. we do, however, imprison them for being traitors but Rove got off that charge in his Plame outing

the guy should be in JAIL for chrissakes, instead of making million$ losing other people's money.

[truthisfreedom]

68. rove, you've been relegated to the dustbin of history.

Stay there, or we'll embarrass you so badly next time that you'll need a stool sample to get an dna analysis so you can remember who you are.

[Gregorian]

69. Rove and Rush.

[maddogesq]

70. He went from Turd Blossom to just plain Turd.

Give the POS some stronger glasses, because the Omentum really started after that last debate. I know; I had my TPM and RCP apps on overdrive.

[zonkers]

71. Adios, Karl to you & your trail of criminality, deception, misery and death. You had a nice run..

You were good at your job but so what. So was Goebbels.

[codjh9]

72. STFU, Rove! And what, their bullshit lying ads weren't 'negative campaigning'?

[LynnTheDem]

74. Gee, sorta like Duhhhhbya was "lucky" when

absolutely nobody from Iraq hit the twin towers on September 11?

[olddad56]

75. Romney's connection to Karl Rove probably hurt him more than the natural disaster.

Rove will forever be linked to the dishonest and disgraceful presidency of GWB. That will always make people shy away from his candidates.

[lovuian]

77. Rove failed the Koch brothers failed Billions failed

Fox News failed ......the Republican party is dying

they created the Tea Party and it destroyed the Republican Party with its extremisim

[joanbarnes]

78. If they truly believe it was an act of God.....

You lose. God's will. She's mad.

[BadgerKid]

79. What?! Take responsibility for our platform?! n/t

[Magleetis]

80. Barbour

is saying the same thing. They have no shame.

http://todayonthetrail.today.com/_news/2012/11/08/15020130-hurricane-sandy-saved-barack-obamas-presidency-says-gov-haley-barbour?lite#__utma=14933801.1177197158.1349901273.1352386120.1352397653.46&__utmb=14933801.2.10.1352397653&__utmc=14933801&__utmx=-&__utmz=14933801.1349901273.1.1.utmcsr=(direct)|utmccn=(direct)|utmcmd=(none)&__utmv=14933801.|8=Earned%20By=msnbc%7Ccover=1^12=Landing%20Content=Mixed=1^13=Landing%20Hostname=www.nbcnews.com=1^30=Visit%20Type%20to%20Content=Earned%20to%20Mixed=1&__utmk=154907320

[NICO9000]

81. What a sociopath

In what world is a hurricane "lucky" for anyone?

[Ztolkins]

82. A.K.A. "Dudes, it wasn't my fault I wasted your millions...

It was Gods will that we lost, please, please don't blame me. Please?"

[elbloggoZY27]

84. WHOW WE WHOW

Mr Rove is living in fantasy land and a world of baloney. The GOP lost because they have no real progressive agenda but to hate the President. Also, the Bush administration is to blame for giving Billionaires a tax break and put this Country in Debt.

Mr Rove and his GOP friends better return to reality and President Obama was reelected by millions of very sane voters who saw through the GOP and the Fox News Distorter's.

The United States in moving forward and the train is not waiting so you in the GOP better realize that they live in the United States of America.

[alp227]

85. RW blogs were all over Matthews's comment but will stay silent regarding Rove's.

[oldbanjo]

87. This may not be over for Karl Rove

I bet there was a lot of money lost in bets due to Rove, some of these people don't play.

[AntiFascist]

88. Poor Karl Rove...

neocons seem to have lost the ability to create their own reality.

[Beacool]

89. No more outrageous than that fool Matthews saying something similar.

A pox on all pundits.

[BigDemVoter]

92. I don't give a shit how we won. . . . But we W-O-N!!!

Those assholes can carry on till the cows come home with whatever asinine claims they want to come up with. They're just sore fucking losers, because they know B.O. kicked Bitch Romney's rich A-S-S. The POTUS actually has a plan to do something other than cutting taxes & increasing spending. What losers.

[fascisthunter]

93. Karl Rove's time has begun

Last edited Thu Nov 8, 2012, 09:09 PM - Edit history (1)

it's over Karl... you one trick pony. You never should have been considered a genius, because you aren't. Geniuses build something that enable all people to do something they couldn't before. Your pov is twisted towards deceit and destruction.

[driver8]

97. Right on -- exactly how I feel!! n/t

[Shilo]

94. Go crawl back under the rock you were hatched under please

[Rosa Luxemburg]

95. Romney was losing before the hurricane hit

[MrSlayer]

100. No one was lucky and Romney NEVER had a chance.

Romney was never going to win this election. Not even with the mail-in performance in the first debate. This race was never close.

[On the Road]

101. Sandy Really Got Those Hispanics to the Polls

eh, Karl?