The Rove Effect

Fond as I am of Karl Rove (the closest thing we have to the Anti-Christ), his approach to campaigns (trading on fear and base instincts) has brought him outstanding returns. He does, after all, sort of rule the free world. So I wasn't surprised to see an ad against California's Proposition 87, which taxes oil companies in order to fund alternative energy resources in order to reduce our dependence on foreign oil, using Rove-like techniques.

The ad shows a man in a yellow firefighter's coat. He says Proposition 87 is a bad idea that will increase our dependence on foreign oil and increase fuel prices. (Increased dependence on foreign oil seems an unlikely result, and though it will likely increase fuel prices, I don't think that's necessarily a bad thing. And it will actually reduce dependence on foreign oil.) Then he goes on to say "that's why" an organization representing 85,000 public safety workers is opposed to it. "Gee..." the ad wants you to think, "I trust public safety officials -- they save our lives when terrorists attack." The ad brings it home in the final line: "It's a bad idea -- at the worst possible time."

Oh my god, you tax the oil companies (who brought this on themselves by treating their executives so lavishly -- primarily Exxon Mobil CEO Lee Raymond's $400 million retirement plan) and now you're giving terrorists the upper hand? That's a Rove-ian leap -- that I'm afraid will work for a certain segment of voters.