Rove: The Dems Can't Prove a Thing

Karl Rove looks at the state of the race headed into NH

(NEWSER) - Not long ago it seemed unthinkable that Mitt Romney would win in über-conservative Iowa. But win it he did—albeit by only eight votes—and if he wins in New Hampshire as expected, “he becomes the prohibitive favorite,” writes Karl Rove in the Wall Street Journal . Sure, Rick Santorum did well, but he “shouldn’t kid himself; he faces huge obstacles.” He has spent little to no time in the other early states, and faces an opponent with “tremendous organizational and financial advantages.” More»

And that's a major liability in Iowa, elsewhere

(NEWSER) - Newt Gingrich is first in the polls, but his campaign might not be ready for prime time, warns Karl Rove in a Wall Street Journal column. "Mr. Gingrich has little or no campaign organization in Iowa and most other states," Rove observes. Gingrich didn't even complete his slate of delegates for New Hampshire, is the only candidate who didn't sign up for the Missouri primary, and even failed to get enough signatures to get on the ballot in Ohio. More»

And he's not the only one who thinks so

(NEWSER) - The saga continues: Donald Trump thinks Jon Huntsman is a "joke candidate." Huntsman thinks Trump's debate "is a joke." More from the candidate's comments, made today, plus other reactions to the controversial Dec. 27 debate:

• Huntsman: "This is not about ratings for Donald Trump, this is about jobs for the American people. This is a serious debate that we ought to be having here in the United States," he said on NBC's Today . "I believe that the presidency of the United States of America is beyond reality shows. This is a joke."
• Robert Gibbs: “Cancel Christmas. Just get ready for the Donald Trump debate," said the former White House spokesperson on Morning Joe, according to Politico . "Pay-per-view. Pay-per-view. We ought to have this, the new rule, I think you’ve heard, you have to have your birth certificate to participate in the debate. It’s like shooting fish in a barrel."

If GOP can't pick a winner, he'll step in

(NEWSER) - Jon Huntsman and Ron Paul made no bones about deriding the upcoming Donald Trump-moderated Republican debate; now, the Donald is firing back. The mogul has labeled the two men “joke candidates,” MSNBC reports. “Those two candidates have zero chance of being elected so it makes no difference” that they turned down invitations, Trump said. “Frankly it gives more airtime to people that really have a chance at getting elected. I think it will get tremendous ratings." And just to further stir the pot, Think Progress notes that this morning he sarcastically told Chuck Todd "I'm sure (Huntsman) will tell the truth about" whether he sought the Donald's blessing, "because he's a Mormon." More»

So why in the world was his campaign so poorly prepared?

(NEWSER) - When it comes to Herman Cain's sexual harassment mess, many conservatives are crying racism . Not so, Karl Rove. In an appearance on Fox News last night spotted by the Hill , Monica Crowley asked the Republican if Cain "should be prepared for more of this because he is a black conservative?" No, said Rove: "He should be prepared for things like this because he’s a serious presidential candidate." And as a "serious" contender, Rove had a bone to pick with the way Cain and his team are handling things. More»