academics
karl rove in the classroom By student Sean McMahon, Class of 2013 Photo editor of Gyrene Gazette
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n February, Karl Rove, Deputy Chief of Staff and Senior Advisor to the former President George W. Bush, visited Ave Maria University and gave a lecture to the students in Dr. Joseph Burke’s Economics class. The focus of the lecture was Rove’s tenure as chief gatekeeper to the Oval Office. Karl Rove was in daily contact with congressmen seeking to meet with the president. As they waited for their opportunity, these individuals were often belligerently determined to impress their point upon the president. Pacing, they would defiantly mutter their prepared speeches. Rove remarked that, upon entering the Oval Office and gazing upon the Great Seal of the United States and the presidential desk, a congressman’s manner would
immediately change. Instead of aggressively advancing his proposition, the congressman would begin to ask the president about this health and his family. This calming effect was not limited to United States officials. When
President Putin visited the White House, he too seemed overwhelmed. With an ironic grin, Karl Rove remarked that the Oval Office had such an impression upon Putin that the atheist exclaimed, “Oh my God!” As charming as these stories were, Karl Rove also left a much deeper message. When asked the secret to success in politics, he suggested an unusual answer. Rather than attending a prestigious law school and amassing a huge campaign war chest, the ability to be effective in politics depends upon the ability to say no. While this is primarily concerned with a person’s integrity, Mr. Rove noted that it also has a very practical element. To say no is to risk losing one’s job. Hence, an individual interested in politics should become established in a pursuit which he loves while devoting his time to politics. One will always have a source of income and will consequently be able to say no. Of course, Rove didn’t mention that sometimes saying no doesn’t just cost you your job. Like St. Thomas More, it could cost you your life, and there’s no insurance plan for that. amu
avemaria.edu | spring 2012 |
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