Rove says US voters inattentive but not stupid

[ECH1969]

U.S. voters often tune out policy debates but it's wrong to think of them as stupid, uninformed and gullible, top White House political strategist Karl Rove said on Saturday.

Rove, who is gearing up for a fight to help Republicans keep control of Congress in November, described Americans as swayed more by instinct than by the nuances of legislative proposals or candidates' position papers.

"There are practitioners of politics who hold that voters are dumb, ill-informed and easily misled, that voters can be manipulated by a clever ad or smart money," Rove said.

But Rove, seen as the mastermind behind President George W. Bush's White House victories in 2000 and 2004, said, "It's wrong to underestimate the intelligence of the American voter."

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/07/29/AR2006072900632.html

[asthmaticeog]

1. Given how often his shit works, I'd say

it's equally wrong to OVERestimate the inteligence of the American voter.

[Kolesar]

2. WaPo is reinforcing the lie that Dems look down on voters

thanks a lot, ya bunch of jerks

[blogslut]

9. Yes

But what KKKarl is really doing is describing the GOP opinion of American voters.

[madmusic]

3. If they aren't stupid, why is * president? Huh? Huh? n/t

[SammyBlue]

4. You can fool some of the people all of the time

all of the people some of the time
but you only need to fool them on election day.

[DistressedAmerican]

5. WE DID NOT MANIPULATE YOU! WE DID NOT MANIPULATE YOU!

WE HAVE NOTHING BUT THE HIGHEST RESPECT FOR THE VOTER (just before we screw him)!

[Turbineguy]

6. He'd better hope they're stupid

or he's just gonna have to cheat more.

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

7. Politicians count on the voters lack of intelligence.

Otherwise, about 95% of them would be seeking other employment or serving prison time.

“America is a nation without a distinct criminal class...with the possible exception of Congress." - Mark Twain

[Jim Warren]

8. Careful with anything coming directly out of Herr Rove's mouth

His words are like a seeping toxic cloud and have a radioactive half-life of misdirection.

I'm convinced he talks in code.

[MichiganVote]

10. Well that's a load of shit. If he thought Americans were/are so

in attentive, why has he structured every political move he makes to keep their attention?