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Dowd to GOP: The Elitism Crap Won't Work

Rove's attempts to paint Obama as snooty a 'hypocritical comedy'

By Jason Farago,  Newser Staff

Posted Jun 25, 2008 9:14 AM CDT

(Newser) – The Republicans have been unrelenting in their attempts to paint Barack Obama as an elitist—pretty rich stuff, writes Times columnist Maureen Dowd, coming from a party led by a Connecticut-born "Richie Rich" whose daddy has bailed out his snide self time and again. The cosseted conservatives' "hypocritical comedy" might have worked in the past, but not this time, Dowd warns.

Dowd singles out Karl Rove, who took time out from his "corncob pipe" and "professional wrestling" to compare Obama to "the guy at the country club with the beautiful date, holding a martini and a cigarette that stands against the wall and makes snide comments about everyone who passes by.” But assailing a candidate as smart, successful, and sophisticated isn't a winning strategy, she argues—on the contrary, those are "traits that people in the population aspire to."

Republican strategist Karl Rove addresses delegates at the Republican state convention at the Mayo Civic Center on Saturday, May 31, 2008 in Rochester, Min.
Republican strategist Karl Rove addresses delegates at the Republican state convention at the Mayo Civic Center on Saturday, May 31, 2008 in Rochester, Min.   (AP Photo/The Star Tribune,Jennifer Simonson)
Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Barack Obama D-Ill., speaks at the 8th-eight grade graduation of Young Women's Leadership Charter School of Chicago at the Illinois Institute of Technology in Chicago Wednesday, June 11, 2008.
Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Barack Obama D-Ill., speaks at the 8th-eight grade graduation of Young Women's Leadership Charter School of Chicago at the Illinois Institute of Technology in Chicago...   (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)
Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Barack Obama D-Ill., shakes hands at the over flow crowd at the Apostolic Church of God service with wife Michelle Obama, right, in Chicago, Sunday, June 15, 2008.
Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Barack Obama D-Ill., shakes hands at the over flow crowd at the Apostolic Church of God service with wife Michelle Obama, right, in Chicago, Sunday, June 15, 2008.   (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)
Republican strategist Karl Rove addresses delegates at the Republican state convention at the Mayo Civic Center on Saturday, May 31, 2008 in Rochester, Min.
Republican strategist Karl Rove addresses delegates at the Republican state convention at the Mayo Civic Center on Saturday, May 31, 2008 in Rochester, Min.   (AP Photo/The Star Tribune,Jennifer Simonson)
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