Karl Rove owes no one anything. He’s not asking for votes. He’s drawn enough ire that activists from either the left or right hating on him has become white noise. So who better than Rove to needle Hillary Clinton about her faculties?
The result? Shock and indignation from Team Hillary. Her husband, former Arkansas Governor Bill Clinton, even weighed in, vouching for his wife’s well-being.
Some thought the discussion promises to expose how Clinton avoided Benghazi testimony, but it may not have been quite so calculated. After all, a potential candidate’s health is a legitimate question, especially for Clinton. If she wins and assumes the Presidency in 2017, she would be just nine months younger than Ronald Reagan was on his first Inauguration Day. She had her infamous spell back in December 2012. In the back of many voters’ minds, her age and competence could be an issue – perhaps not a deciding issue, but an influential one. (John McCain could probably share a thought or two on that.)
Whether or not there’s anything there, Clinton’s surrogates have spent a week on defense talking about her health. Voters who may have forgotten all about her December 2012 episode had their memories refreshed. And in their zeal to respond to anything coming from Rove’s mouth, the response has come off a little over the top.
Had Clinton and Company simply ignored Rove, the story might have been over. They kept it alive on their own.
Jim Eltringham 