Karl Rove delivered his usual insightful analysis on Fox and Friends, saying that President Obama should thank Mitt Romney for not being crazy enough to think that he was born in Kenya or somewhere else rather than in Hawaii. Speaking of Romney’s “joke” about his birth certificate, Rove said:
“He got a good laugh out of it,” Rove explained. “This is faux outrage on the part of the Obama campaign. There was a period of time for the basic part of a year and a half when all these people — Rick Perry, Donald Trump and others — were out there saying Barack Obama was not born in the United States. The White House was completely quiet about it because they just wanted to egg the Republicans on — these Republicans sort of out there on the fringe — to say these kinds of things because it was so self-discrediting.”
“The one guy, who consistently said — dismissed this and defended the president as having been born in the United States — in the middle of a contentious primary — was Mitt Romney.”
“And the White House never said, ‘Thank you, Gov. Romney, for acknowledging this and for defending President Obama,’” Rove added. “They certainly never gave any acknowledgement, were never gracious to the one guy who stood up and said, ‘This is all B.S., he was born in Honolulu, we all know that.’ And that was Mitt Romney.”
Oh yeah, those birthers are really “out there on the fringe.” That’s why Donald Trump will be speaking at the Republican National Convention. And Janine Turner. They’re so on the fringe that they’re given speaking slots at the party’s convention. But this is the game the Republican party always has to play, sending signals to both the loonies in the party and non-crazy independent voters that they’re on both sides at the same time.
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Michael Heath
August 29, 2012 at 12:45 pm (UTC -4) Link to this comment
No laughter was reported when Romney delivered this line, he instead got cheers. So the effect was a result consistent with the most parsimonious prediction we could make prior to its delivery. And that was Mr. Romney enjoying a positive reaction to his racist dog whistle, further establishing his creds as a fellow tribalist with conservative Christians in particular and other GOP partisans as well.
Karl Rove concludes:
I agree. I also don’t see how the Obama campaign, and its friends like MSNBC’s Chris Matthews, benefit from spending time being outraged on this matter. The president’s been doing a good job hammering Mitt Romney on the fact he’s a plutocrat thoroughly focused on his own ambition and a handful of other swells in spite of also knowing how their promises would catastrophically damage the country; why Obama and the liberal media would fall for this diversionary tactic is beyond me. The left’s reaction makes Obama look small when in fact since 2008 Mr. Obama’s played the birthers beautifully – until now.
Alverant
August 29, 2012 at 12:48 pm (UTC -4) Link to this comment
I drove to the train station and not only did I not break the speed limit, I came to a full stop at each stop sign. Where’s MY “thank you”, Rove?
/sarcasm
(For the sarcasm impared, my point is that you shouldn’t be thanked for doing what you’re supposed to be doing.)
busterggi
August 29, 2012 at 12:49 pm (UTC -4) Link to this comment
I’d like Mr. Rove to show the video of Romney defending against birthers – he can make it now and claim it retroactively just like his Massachusetts residency & taxes.
celticlight
August 29, 2012 at 12:58 pm (UTC -4) Link to this comment
I don’t care where the President is FROM, I do care where he is taking us TO, and I would rather move in the direction of Canada or Sweden – which is toward greater fiscal stability (lower deficits) vs. toward the direction of Greece, Spain, France, Italy. I am not sure yet about Germany. Their instincts are good, but they may be dragged down with the rest of the euro-rabble.
some bastard on the net
August 29, 2012 at 1:07 pm (UTC -4) Link to this comment
There is something Obama could thank Romney for:
Being such a low hurdle.
pinkboi
August 29, 2012 at 1:25 pm (UTC -4) Link to this comment
Obama should thank Romney for being marginally less crazy? It’s entirely in Romney’s interest to not look like a wingnut. Obama has only to gain if Republicans make themselves look stupid and Rove knows that.
But what troubles me about the whole birther thing is that the response is “what are you, stupid? of course he was born here”. Indeed, Obama was born in Hawaii. But maybe it’s time we stop looking at the constitutional requirement as self-justifying. If someone who spent time in multi-cultural Hawaii and foreign Indonesia can be president (as well they should), why not a Mexican-American who moved here as a baby?
thegoodman
August 29, 2012 at 1:33 pm (UTC -4) Link to this comment
I bet those ingrate slaves never thanked their masters for dinner either!
We should all be thanking the Republicans for supplying us with our way of life. For without them, we would descend into chaos and be cannibal-socialist-nazi-pagean-atheist-muslim-socialists before we could say “You betcha”.
Thanks Republicans!
d cwilson
August 29, 2012 at 2:34 pm (UTC -4) Link to this comment
And when exactly did he say that, Karl?
Karl?
(crickets)
vardaman
August 29, 2012 at 2:44 pm (UTC -4) Link to this comment
How so you egg someone on by remaining quiet?
Chris from Europe
August 29, 2012 at 3:21 pm (UTC -4) Link to this comment
@celticlight
What are you talking about? The direction of states like France and Italy is the result of having to follow the nonsensical policies set by Germany. The Germans are the ones who are absolutely clueless in this situation.
Area Man
August 29, 2012 at 4:43 pm (UTC -4) Link to this comment
Once again, the “values” party has managed to define ethical behavior down to the point of absurdity. Now they expect a debt of gratitude any time they don’t tell egregious, racially-tinged lies about the President.
What next, do the ones who manage not to get caught hiring gay prostitutes demand thank-you-notes from their wives?
Donovan
August 29, 2012 at 5:53 pm (UTC -4) Link to this comment
This is rediculous. Karl Rove was not a homunculus shot into a cow pie and raised by North Korean spies in Pakistan. It’s just insane to say that. And I’m an awesome person for saying so.
=8)-DX
August 30, 2012 at 4:58 am (UTC -4) Link to this comment
Rabble? I resent that! Free citizens of a free European continent. Grumble grumble, gnash, snort!
stace
August 30, 2012 at 7:45 am (UTC -4) Link to this comment
So that’s how turdblossoms are created, cool!
celticlight
August 31, 2012 at 11:31 am (UTC -4) Link to this comment
Free Citizens of a free European continent, and yes, parts of it currently representing a rabble.
Merriam-Webster Definition Rabble “a disorganized or confused collection of things”.
Perhaps it means something different in the European language :)
if so I apologize profusely. I like Europe. I am 50% German and 50% Finnish by heritage, have been to most of the European countries, speak some German, French, and Finnish and I want the Europeans to prosper !!!
Oh Mitt, what a tit. - Page 6
September 30, 2012 at 11:43 pm (UTC -4) Link to this comment
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