Praise for The Uses and Misuses of Politics
An insightful examination of the mastermind behind George W. Bushs presidency. William G. Mayers grasp of Karl Roves strategic vision, however flawed, is second to none. Mayers interpretation is likely to remain the authoritative account of the architect of a durable Republican realignment that vanished before George W. Bush even left the White House.
Stephen F. Knott , author of The Lost Soul of the American Presidency: The Decline into Demagoguery and the Prospects for Renewal
A carefully researched and lucid analysis of politics and policy-making in the George W. Bush administration, this book is highly instructive for presidency studies and American politics. It demonstrates the critical importance of executive leadership in White House decision-making to ensure clearly defined responsibilities for political strategists and policymakers.
Meena Bose , Peter S. Kalikow Chair in Presidential Studies and professor of political science, Hofstra University
This excellent book provides a thorough and thoughtful analysis of the George W. Bush presidency. It looks beyond personalities to dig deep into political history and public policy. For readers across the political spectrum it offers bracing lessons about the limitations facing presidents and their staffs.
John J. Pitney Jr. , author of After Reagan: Bush, Dukakis, and the 1988 Election
In this deep dive into the travails of the George W. Bush administration, scholar William G. Mayer methodically shows that it isnt always true that good politics is good policy. Sometimes, good politics isnt even good politics. There are important lessons here for future occupants of the White House and the people around them.
Andrew E. Busch , author of Reagans Victory: The Presidential Election of 1980 and the Rise of the Right
In the long history of American politics, the number of successful campaign managers is small. They live in the shadows, mostly uncredited and unknown. But there are three who are known and well-credited because they are also the only campaign managers to win two successive elections for their candidates: Mark Hanna for William McKinley in 1896 and 1900 , Jim Carville for Bill Clinton in 1992 and 1996 , and Karl Rove for George W. Bush in 2000 and 2004 . Thanks to Bill Mayers fascinating and insightful exploration of Karl Roves career, we are now able to learn how George Bushs brain shaped the early decades of twenty-first-century American politics.
Garrison Nelson , Elliott A. Brown Green and Gold Professor of Law, Politics, and Political Behavior, Emeritus, University of Vermont
In this comprehensive study of the architect of George W. Bushs ascent to the White House and the strategy that shaped his two terms in office, William Mayer reveals how Karl Roves unprecedented joining of politics and public policy ravaged his ambition to forge a new Republican majority. Hoping their partnership would birth a historic political realignment, Bush and Rove instead presided over the collapse of the Republican establishmentleaving in their wake a party ripe for a hostile takeover by a clever demagogue. Anyone tempted to romanticize the George W. Bush years amid the disruption of Donald Trumps presidency will be disabused by this clear-eyed account of a presidency destroyed by a multitude of unforced errors.
Sidney M. Milkis , White Burkett Miller Professor in the Department of Politics, University of Virginia
The Uses and
Misuses of
Politics
The Uses and
Misuses of
Politics
Karl Rove and the Bush
Presidency
William G. Mayer
University Press of Kansas
2021 by the University Press of Kansas
All rights reserved
Published by the University Press of Kansas (Lawrence, Kansas 66045 ), which was organized by the Kansas Board of Regents and is operated and funded by Emporia State University, Fort Hays State University, Kansas State University, Pittsburg State University, the University of Kansas, and Wichita State University.
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Names: Mayer, William G., author.
Title: The uses and misuses of politics : Karl Rove and the Bush presidency / William G. Mayer.
Description: Lawrence : University Press of Kansas, 2021 . | Includes bibliographical references and index.
Identifiers: LCCN 2020026474
ISBN 9780700630530 (cloth)
ISBN 9780700630547 (epub)
Subjects: LCSH: United StatesPolitics and government 2001 2009 . | Rove, Karl. | Rove, KarlInfluence. | Bush, George W. (George Walker), 1946 | Republican Party (U.S. : 1854 )Historyst century. | Political consultantsUnited States.
Classification: LCC E .M 2021 | DDC . 931092 dc
LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/ 2020026474 .
British Library Cataloguing-in-Publication Data is available.
Printed in the United States of America
The paper used in the print publication is recycled and contains percent postconsumer waste. It is acid free and meets the minimum requirements of the American National Standard for Permanence of Paper for Printed Library Materials Z. 1992 .
To my mother, Mary Rose Mayer,
and to the memory of my father,
Joseph C. Mayer ( 1918 2006 )
And still the wonder deepens
Contents
Acknowledgments
When this book was still at an early stage, I was fortunate to have Gerald Pomper and Marc Landy participate in a seminar at Northeastern University, organized at the instigation of Mitchell Orenstein, at which both gave the then-partially completed manuscript a thorough reading and critique. I also benefited enormously from the comments of Kathryn Dunn Tenpas and Andrew Busch, who reviewed the full manuscript for the University Press of Kansas. Deserving of special praise is Woody Kay, friend and polymath, who read and commented on the entire book for no reason except that he is a good guy and a great friend. John Portz, Chris Bosso, Bob Gilbert, Costas Panagopoulos, Jim Campbell, Joseph Cooper, Ralph Whitehead, Mark Jamrozik, Garrison Nelson, and Matt Dickinson also provided important help with parts of the analysis.
As readers will discover, this book contains a lot of survey data (see especially ). Like virtually everything else I have published, my ability to access these data owes a great deal to the Roper Center for Public Opinion Research and the two people most responsible for establishing and maintaining its wonderful iPOLL database, Lois Timms-Ferrara and Marc Maynard. My thanks also to Karlyn Bowman of the American Enterprise Institute for sharing her remarkable collection of survey materials on public opinion toward the war in Iraq.
For making the publication process as smooth and painless as possible, I would also like to express my gratitude to the many good people at the University Press of KansasDavid Congdon, Colin Tripp, Mike Kehoe, Derek Helms, Karl Janssen, and especially Irina du Quenoy, who has restored my faith in copyeditors.
When my first book was published almost thirty years ago, I called it a triumph of family. My family has grown much larger since then, and, sadly, lost a few much-loved members as well, but I am still amazed and grateful for all the love and support they give me without stint. In that spirit I offer my inadequate thanks to: Joseph and Rita Farrell Mayer and their children, Lauren and Mike; Mary Beth and the late Joe King and their children, Allie and Kate; Jack and the late Mary Weiler Mayer; Tom and Christine Lobo Mayer and their son, Joseph; and Rosemary and Scott the Iron Man Kryk and their children, Andy, Steve, Dana, and Renee.
