... would be a better name than "Conservative Victory Fund" for Karl Rove's new organization - or maybe Karl Rove should call it the "Big Government Conservative Victory Fund." The new group's purpose is to ensure only candidates that Karl Rove and his cronies and donors consider "electable" win Republican primaries. However, Karl Rove's track record of supporting "winnable" candidates leaves something to be desired: last year "Super PACs" controlled by or affiliated with Karl Rove spent over $100 million on candidates Karl Rove deemed "electable" - and every Senate candidate supported by Karl Rove lost.
Karl Rove does have a point that the GOP nominated weak candidates in some Senate races - like the pro-Patriot Act, pro-welfare state, pro-war Heather Wilson in New Mexico or George W. Bush's former Health and Human Services Secretary (as well as an architect of Bush's budget-busting prescription drug plan and a supporter of the health insurance mandate) Tommy Thompson in Wisconsin. However, given Karl Rove's history of hostility to those who challenge the Republican establishment - particularly those associated with the libertarian or liberty movement - Wilson and Thompson are probably not the type of candidates the "Conservative Victory Fund" will oppose. Instead, the fund's efforts will probably be aimed at preventing future candidates like Rand Paul, Justin Amash, or Thomas Massie from defeating Big Government Republicans.
Last year's election results show that Republican candidates running on a message of individual liberty and limited government can win even in election years where the national trends are generally unfavorable for Republicans. In addition, the only part of the Republican Party that is attracting young people today is the part associated with the liberty movement. If Republicans want to grow their party, they should embrace the liberty movement instead of following the lead of the architect of the Big Government conservatism that set the stage for President Obama, Speaker Nancy Pelosi, and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid
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