archy

Bad dog, Karl
On a side note, I wonder about Karl’s self image. Retainers like Rove usually flourish in anonymity. Their glory comes in the part they play in building the success of their master or cause. What happens when they become infamous in their own right? Karl is not becoming famous as a good servant, he is becoming famous (whether accurately or inaccurately) as the pioneer of a new level of political discourse. The good servant, the good retainer, does not draw attention to himself; he focuses attention on his master. In this, at the peak and end of his career, Rove is a failure. His name is becoming an adjective. Long after he retires from the political scene, people will characterize certain low actions as “Rovian” in their despicableness, as in “That was a Rovian dirty trick.” By becoming the issue himself, he is a failure as a tactician.

As long time readers know, I would be the last person to deliver a cheap shot (stop laughing, dammit). Is Rove's mom still alive? What does she think about his name becoming a byword for dirty fighting.