Posted by PATRICK KENNEDY – Before Karl Rove gave his speech this morning at the Statehouse Convention Center, a group of four including myself, sat backstage listening to Rove talk candidly about life and politics for about an hour. At one point, he even poked fun of his own mythical status as the genius behind all that is good and bad in the world of politics.
We all saw a different side of Rove backstage that is not seen on television. In listening to Rove, there was a cold beauty in his understanding and usage of realism in shaping a political strategy. I was fascinated, curious but completely not interested in the boring ol’ partisan epithets that were thrown my way for weeks by those who disagreed with Rove.
Ok, let’s suppose for a minute that Rove really is the devil in disguise, as many have suggested to me. He’s out to ruin honest America as we know it. That’s fine – but wouldn’t his friends, and more so his enemies, all want to learn, analyze and study Rove firsthand in an environment conducive to such actions?
Well, I asked this question to several people, and I noticed a clear dichotomy between the older and younger generations:
The younger adults (approximately 19-28 year olds) were excited to learn from Rove, and they were explicit in saying so. It was no secret they were left-leaning, but they didn’t get caught up in the psychological intent of “Rovian polarization.” They took his tactics for what they were – strategies. The bottom line is political “strategery” only works if you buy into it.
Conversely, the Clinton School received ample pressure and criticism for inviting Karl Rove from a long list of older adults. Many of these people are the ones who applauded Madeline Albright last semester when she spoke about the need “to make a concerted effort to talk and listen to our enemies, not just our friends.” Many of these people have praised (as they should) the care and thought that former President Bill Clinton puts into studying alternative positions – an exercise in good decision making.
The reaction by some exposed a classic double standard – dialogue and free exchange of ideas are a good thing as long as they don’t conflict with what that person believes. The more a person hates a speaker or a viewpoint, is more the reason to study him/her. The younger generation, which is craving for change, is tired of the limitations of partisanship. Critical thinking is the cornerstone of any good educational process. Rest assured, the Clinton School will continue to host speakers from all perspectives.
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