Boss Rove: Inside Karl Rove's Secret Kingdom of Power

by Craig Unger

The epic 2012 presidential contest between President Barack Obama and Republican candidate Mitt Romney represents the stunning comeback of GOP boss Karl Rove, the brilliant political operator whose scorched-earth partisanship infamously earned him the moniker “Bush’s Brain” and provoked some observers to label him as dangerous to American democracy. How, after leaving the Bush administration in disgrace, did Rove rise again, and what does it mean that he is back in power? This timely, meticulous account by New York Times bestselling investigative reporter Craig Unger provides the surprising and disturbing answers.  KARL ROVE, the man who masterminded the rise of George W. Bush from governor of Texas to the presidency, who advised Bush during two wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, who some claim helped seize the 2004 election for Bush, and who was at the center of the Bush administration’s two biggest scandals—the Valerie Plame Wilson affair and the U.S. attorneys scandal—is back. Since exiting the Bush administration, Rove has quietly become the greatest Republican power broker in the country. His pulpit is much vaster than his role as a commentator on Fox News and his regular columns for the Wall Street Journal suggest. His real strength is his ability to mobilize immense sums through the SuperPAC American Crossroads and similar organizations, and channel that money on behalf of Republican candidates. Knowing that Rove remains connected and powerful, Unger investigates Rove’s politically controversial activities of times past, shedding important new light on them, and shows their relevance to his activities today. He scrutinizes Rove’s roles in the Valerie Plame Wilson affair, the U.S. attorneys scandal, the strange events in Ohio on the night of the 2004 presidential election, and much more. But now that Rove is back in control of GOP political strategy and funding, there are pressing new How did Rove do an end around on the Republican National Committee and build his own more powerful organization? In what ways did he subtly and not so subtly influence the 2012 Republican primary process? What did he say (and do) regarding candidates Rick Perry, Herman Cain, Michele Bachmann, Newt Gingrich, and Rick Santorum? How did he placate the Tea Party, which he privately despises, even as he cleverly marginalized its importance? How did he and Mitt Romney draw closer as the GOP convention neared? How will he further benefit from a Romney victory? And if Romney loses, why will Rove remain powerful? Unger has the answers. As demonstrated in his previous books, Unger is adept at combining incisive reporting with the journalistic record to create a master narrative that sheds new light on a political subject. Detailed, fascinating, and entertaining, Boss Rove will interest not only readers who want to know more about the 2012 election but also those keen to understand the forces endangering American democracy. This up-to-the-minute journalistic report sheds crucial light on Rove’s vital behind-the-scenes role in this fall’s presidential election and in the future of American politics.

Genres: Politics, Nonfiction, History, Audiobook, Biography

322 pages, Kindle Edition

First published September 4, 2012

About the author

Craig Unger is an American journalist and writer. His most recent book is The Fall of the House of Bush, about the internal feud in the Bush family and the rise and collusion of the neoconservative and Christian right in Republican party politics, viewing each group's weltanschauung and efforts concerning present and potential future US policy through a distinctly negative prism. His previous work, House of Bush, House of Saud explored the relationship between the Bush family and the House of Saud. Craig Unger's work is featured in Michael Moore's film Fahrenheit 9/11. Unger has served as deputy editor of the New York Observer and was editor-in-chief of Boston Magazine. He has written about George H. W. Bush and George W. Bush for The New Yorker, Esquire Magazine and Vanity Fair.

Reviews

[Andrew · Rating 1 out of 5]

I was excited to read this book. Really, really excited. However, I had to put it down after only 29 pages. A short checklist may help determine whether this book would be a good choice for you to read as well.

Self-described liberal: check
Open dislike for the New Right: check
Hatred for Citizens United: check
Enjoys watching the Colbert Report & Daily Show: check
Enjoys having these shows referenced in a presumably scholarly book: nope
Enjoys 7th grade name-calling: nope
Trusts blogs as a reference: nope

It is readily apparent that Unger has a burning hatred for Karl Rove. That is more than understandable; he is an apparently evil little man. However, when it seeps through the pages to the extent that it does (ex: Rove has never been the most impressive physical specimen on the planet. GOP operative Roger Stone...likens him to "a wax pear that's been sitting on the radiator too long"), it renders everything else highly suspect at best and entirely compromises the integrity of the book at worst. The amount of bias is simply too thick.

P.S. I realize that I did not "read" the book. If someone who has read the book can assure me that the entire book is not like this, then by all means I will pick it up again.

[Patrick Blackburn · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an excellent and terrifying biography of one of the men who screwed up America over the past decade. Sure, this book slants left, but I find Craig Unger to be a pretty credible reporter. Boss Rove is well researched and pretty damning. I am very interested in politics (and majored in Political Science at UCLA), and this book made me sick. The state of politics in our country is as low as it has ever been. It is based on deception and lies, and appealing to the lowest common denominator. If you believe anything either side is selling you, you are both ignorant and part of the problem. Boss Rove depressed me, but enlightened me as well. Something has to change, and soon, or we're all screwed.

[Genie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent book, well documented, of Karl Rove- his methods and goals. Scary and really makes me wonder why we do not hear more about the possible stealing of Ohio in the 2008 election. Money in elections, in the hands of people like Rove, is destroying democracy. Really interesting book, people should read it to understand more about what is going on in politics today.

[Ang · Rating 3 out of 5]

Can we all just agree that Karl Rove is a monumental asshole? I mean, Republicans and Democrats alike, I think we can all agree that he's not a very nice man. Wins elections though, eh? Or used to. *chuckle*

[Thomas Stevenson · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you ever had questions about American elections, and after Florida who doesn't, then this book will make you wonder about who gets elected and how.

[Steve Hager · Rating 1 out of 5]

Read first chapter and disposed of the book in the landfill. #TeamGOP

[Chris · Rating 1 out of 5]

I listened to 13% of the audiobook. It’s awful, boring and no longer relevant.

I cannot recommend this book.

[Ray · Rating 2 out of 5]

The Title" "Boss Rove", gives you the idea that it will be something of a hatchet-job on Rove. While not exactly a conspiracy-theory book, it does contains a number of unsupported suppositions that all recent Republican dirty campaign tricks can be attributed to Karl Rove. While I'm not so naive as to think Rove hasn't pulled a couple of beauties in his past, and is certainly capable of tearing down an opponent, it's hard to believe that he is singly responsible for all the negative campaign techniques we've seen over these past years.

Nonetheless, while perhaps left unproven and subject to conjecture, there's little doubt that many of the allegations are true. But unfortunately, that seems to be the nature of politics today, and most likely for the foreseeable future.

Many on the right will likely object to these revelations, suppositions, and inferences, just a those on the left would do the same should similar revelations be made against Democratic operative David Axelrod. Bottom line - politics is a dirty business where winning is everything and anything goes when attacking opponents. Karl Rove just seems to be very good at his job.

[Daisie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Even more interesting to read with the added vindication of the 2012 election. It's like reading a suspense thriller, having already been spoiled that the killer will get his comeuppance.

[Lynn Peterson · Rating 1 out of 5]

Meh. Just so so. Already knew most of it. Unfairly left slanted, as if Enver Hoxha ghosted.