Karl Rove: A ‘Fresh Face’ Might Be Better Than Trump Or Cruz For GOP Nom

FILE - This March 2, 2013 file photo shows Republican strategist Karl Rove speaking in Sacramento, Calif. After a stretch of anemic fundraising, the Karl Rove-backed American Crossroads super PAC raised more cash in ... FILE - This March 2, 2013 file photo shows Republican strategist Karl Rove speaking in Sacramento, Calif. After a stretch of anemic fundraising, the Karl Rove-backed American Crossroads super PAC raised more cash in March than it did during the previous 14 months combined, according to summaries of campaign filings released Monday. The GOP establishment’s favorite super PAC raised almost $5.2 million last month and had more than $6.3 million in the bank as of March 31, according to the report summary. That cash will be used as the outside group tries to help Republicans pick up the six Senate seats they need to win control. American Crossroads has been running ads supporting establishment GOP candidates in Alaska and North Carolina and is expected to support former Massachusetts Sen. Scott Brown in his bid to unseat Democrat Jeanne Sheheen in New Hampshire. (AP Photo/Rich Pedroncelli, File) MORE LESS
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Republican operative Karl Rove said Thursday that based on the GOP’s current crop of candidates, the party might be better off picking a “fresh face” for the best chance of winning the White House.

“Donald Trump excites a lot of enthusiasm,” Rove said about the Republican frontrunner. “But he also excites a lot of anger within the Republican Party and outside of the Republican Party. And a fresh face might be the thing that could give us a chance to turn this election and win in November against Hillary.”

The remarks on conservative pundit Hugh Hewitt’s radio show further fueled speculation that the party establishment could try to force a brokered summer convention to block Trump from securing the nomination.

While Rove conceded Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) is “more electable” than frontrunner Donald Trump because he “lacks the misogynist comments and the four bankruptcies,” he didn’t offer names of any possible Republican alternatives that could match Hillary Clinton in a general election.

Asked by Hewitt if Trump could recover from high unfavorability numbers in the polls, Rove replied, “Look, I don’t think it’s possible.”

“[Trump] claims that he can be presidential when he needs to be. If he wants to change those numbers, he ought to start acting in a presidential manner, whatever he thinks that is, because right now, his numbers are abysmal,” he said. “Maybe the numbers are pliable for him. I doubt it. But he’d better show us some evidence by July 18th that he can change these numbers.”

Listen to the interview over at The Daily Caller.

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Notable Replies

  1. A Fresh face? Perhaps a fresh, square, hammish face?

  2. IOW’s,

    “We Are Officially Fucked.”

  3. The Politburo strikes again.

  4. Karl Rove: I moved the country forward when I installed George Bush as POTUS. My experience, therefore, must be relevant.

  5. A face we do to make ourselves feel better?

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