Will Karl Rove run John McCain's campaign in 2008?

[election_2004]

I've heard rumors that McCain made a deal with Bush's handlers to campaign for Bunnypants in 2004, in exchange for McCain getting access to the people who ran Bush's campaign when McCain mounts his 2008 presidential run.

Does that mean McCain will wheel in Karl Rove as his chief political strategist? Or perhaps have Rove lurking ("advising") behind the scenes?

I reject the MSM's and pundits' rhetoric that Rove is this "brilliant" political strategist.

To the contrary, I believe that Rove has simply fed off of successful political strategies of the past by mobilizing an unprecedented number of interest groups en masse. That's how he was able to increase the pro-Bush turnout between 2000 and 2004.

The question is: will it last? Will the same formula that worked for Bush necessarily also work for Bill Frist or George Allen?

And will the Democrats be rational and fair during the Democratic presidential nominating process? Will the Democrats be smart enough to look toward the future, rather than the past?

Or will we all just sit back and let partisan elitists gerrymander/handicap the process?

[charlyvi]

1. Rove masterminded the smear against McCain

in the 2000 SC primary--the smear against McCain AND his family. Even his adopted daughter. If he allows Rove to mastermind his campaign, if he does unto others what was done to him, he is more of a whore that I think he is. And I REALLY, REALLY think he's a fucking whore.

[Inspired]

2. A dirty whore

who sold his soul to the devil.

[David Zephyr]

3. If Cheney doesn't run.

And don't count him out.

[bliss_eternal]

5. ...if he's still alive...

hasn't Cheney been looking a bit worse than usual, of late?

[elfin]

4. Probably

McCain won't want Rove on anyone else's campaign to stab him in the back again. Plus, McCain is NOT a moderate and is quite comfortable with the current program with a few minor exceptions. The press blows up the exceptions to make it seem like he is moderate and shoo him in for 08.

[woodleydem]

6. I highly doubt it. John Weaver is McCain's most trusted political advisor

and he would likely run the national campaign. McCain is a loyal guy--he is going to go with someone he trusts, and Karl Rove isn't that guy. I wouldn't be surprised if Rove acted as a consultant to whoever gets the Republican nomination, but I don't think he is going to run the campaign.

[corbett]

7. McCain Made A Deal But It Was With The Shrub Directly

The way I read it, McCain agreed to campaign for the shrub's reelection and Social Security privatization in exchange for chimp boy's endorsement in 2008. If that plays out, the chimp will recommend that Karl Rove be allowed to run things in order to assure victory. Likewise, he'll suggest that little brother Jeb be the running mate. When that happens, Rove will be a shoe-in to run the campaign.

[elizm]

8. I'd guess that....

Karl Rove would run the campaign of whoever is running against McCain. And the same smear would happen all over again.