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January 10, 2008
Rove: Obama's 'prissy guy slap' hurt
Posted by: Chris
Karl Rove -- remember him? -- tells us in a Wall Street Journal column today that two moments in the closing days of the New Hampshire primary clinched it for Hillary Clinton: a debate exchange with Barack Obama over Hillary's supposed "likability gap" and her emotional reply to a female voter's question about "how she does it all."
We know all about "the tears," but Rove also thought this single back-and-forth between the Democratic frontrunners during the debate also made a difference:
In the ABC debate on Saturday, when WMUR TV's Scott Spradling asked why voters were "hesitating on the likeability issue, where they seem to like Barack Obama more." Mrs. Clinton's self-deprecating response -- "Well, that hurts my feelings" -- was followed by a playful "But I'll try to go on."
You couldn't help but smile. It reminded Democrats what they occasionally like about her. Then Mr. Obama followed with a needless and dismissive, "You're likable enough, Hillary."
Her remarks helped wash away the memory of her angry replies to attacks at the debate's start. His trash talking was an unattractive carryover from his days playing pickup basketball at Harvard, and capped a mediocre night.
I'll admit that I cringed a bit at Obama's remarks, which brought to mind his awkward defense of her wardrobe when John "Breck Girl" Edwards took a crack at her fashion sense in an early Dem debate. But for Rove characterize it as trash-talking is, well, typical Rove mean-spiritedness.
He came up with an even juicier description -- homophobic rather than race-tinged -- when speaking to an audience of believers on the Christian News Service. Take a listen:
Barack Obama, who was having a mediocre night in my opinion, rather than keeping his mouth shut proceeded to say, 'They like you well enough.' So, he looked like a smarmy, prissy little guy taking a slap at her. I think that helped her."
No new politics there. That's the good-ol-boy Rove we know and loath.
Hat tip to William Waybourn, via Breitbart TV.
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Comments
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Every successful presidental candidate has their Karl Rove, James Carville, a Lee Atwater. Obama can be a nice guy on the presidential campaign trail, but he may need more "Political Navy Seals" behind the scenes.
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By the way John Kerry shows up a week late and in the wrong state.
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in the wrong state.
The comments to this entry are closed.
Andoni on Jan 10, 2008 10:46:39 AM:
I cringed a bit at Obama's comment too.
After seeing the exchange re-played many times, I rationalized in my mind that it was supposed to be "light" moment, started by Hillary. If he had only said it with a bit more lightness and a different tone, to clearly indicate he was joking around just as she was, it would have come off better.
I attribute it to tiredness, but then again maybe I'm rationalizing. I know these two don't like each other, and after all my excuses for Obama, it's probably his dislike for her that won out in the end.