Karl Rove: “Put the Nation in a Better Place”

Disarming, self-deprecating, and appreciative—these adjectives do not describe the Karl Rove I expected to meet. But the man who claims he has become "more myth than reality” was all these things and more during our forty-five minutes of Q&A in a briefing room at the White House.

Rove, the deputy White House chief of staff and long-time friend and advisor to President Bush, impressed all of us, regardless of political persuasion, with his encyclopedic knowledge of—and distinctive perspective on—every topic we raised, from entitlement reform to global warming to Iraq. Rejecting the concept of leaving a “legacy,” a mindset he finds self-centered, Rove said he strives “to put in place structural changes that will put the nation in a better place to face the future.” He pointed to the No Child Left Behind legislation as an example of building a structure for real improvement. Explaining why the White House chose to push that legislation, Rove said, “Today, one-third of all high school students, and fully half of all minority students, don’t graduate,”

Rove had reviewed all of our biographies and photos beforehand, and had an introductory comment for every questioner: "You’re the surgeon, right?" or "You're the one in favor of more consumerism in healthcare." Yes, I probably am the only Zuckerman Fellow enamored of market-driven health care reform, but how did he know? We couldn't help but enjoy the conversation and wonder how Rove finds time to pay such close attention to even seemingly insignificant details. Maybe that's why he's so good at his job, and why even those who oppose his politics or style have grudging respect for his record of success.

—David Rosenfeld