Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #97238 in DVD
• Released on: 2005-10-04
• Rating: NR (Not Rated)
• Aspect ratio: 1.33:1
• Formats: Color, DVD, NTSC
• Original language: English
• Number of discs: 1
• Running time: 60 minutes

Amazon.com
One of the most polarizing figures in 21st Century American politics is examined in Karl Rove - The Architect, an hour-long PBS profile of the man generally regarded as President George W. Bush's most trusted and influential advisor. Whether one admires or deplores Rove's tactics, few would argue that they aren't effective. After all, this "nerdy intellectual," as one interviewee describes him, guided Bush to victory in four consecutive elections--twice as governor of Texas and twice as president--with a strategy that relied primarily on a few distinct "anger points" (such as Texas tort reform in '94 and gay marriage in '04) that galvanized the candidate's conservative/evangelical Christian base, while simultaneously contriving a series of attacks that managed to turn the opponent's own major strengths (like John Kerry's military service) against him. But Rove's "smashmouth politics," a technique he learned from the late Lee Atwater (whose so-called "dirty tricks" helped elect Bush's father in 1988), also have a longer-term goal: the creation of "a permanent Republican majority." Whether or not he succeeds is open to question, especially considering that at the time of the October '05 DVD release of The Architect (a name bestowed on Rove by Bush himself), the president's ratings were plummeting and Rove was facing possible indictment for his alleged role in "outing" CIA undercover agent Valerie Plame. How he feels about all of that is unknown, as Rove declined to participate in this admirably unbiased documentary. --Sam Graham

Customer Reviews

"A Provocative Documentary on a Republican Party Mastermind"
The PBS Frontline documentary, Karl Rove: The Architect, takes the viewer on a journey into the mind and motivation of the President's "right hand man," Karl Rove. The documentary is a must see for anyone interested in learning more about Rove's rise to power and his political vision for America. If you've ever wondered how exactly the Republican Party came to be a dominant force in the political landscape in this country, you should definitely see this film! On a personal note, I'm not a fan of the Bush administration and their policies on things like the War in Iraq, stance against same-sex marriage and stem cell research. I have to admit though that after watching this documentary, I developed a greater level of appreciation and respect for the strategic and aggressive Republican mastermind who helped secure victories for President Bush during the 2000 and 2004 campaign.

Great short history lesson about a controversial figure.
It really doesn't matter what one's personel feelings are about Karl Rove because this documentary (like all Frontline episodes I've seen) is not overtly political one way or another. I really didn't know much about Karl Rove going into this except that the Bush bashers really seem to hate him.

Well, now I think I know why. Here's where one can learn very quickly just how Karl Rove gained such prominence in the Republican Party (the clips from the late 60's and early 70's were great fun) and how he helped President Bush get to where he is.

Rove: Scary, Yet Impressive
In all fairness to the documentary, this reveals the importance of brilliant campaign strategists. Karl Rove found that ppl who read fishing magazines vote Republican, so he got those subscription lists and send those readers campaign literature. Because trial lawyers donate heavily to the Democrats, Rove is trying to cut off what they can win (read: earn) in court cases. He emphasizes get-out-the-vote efforts; a tactic that I thought was only important to CBC members. I want more progressive strategizers to be as crafty and skilled as Rove.

Still, it's creepy seeing this innocent-looking, doughboy-faced guy being such a wicked Far Right mastermind. The documentary shows that he was thin in his youth; it says nothing on how and why he got fat. Granted, Rove declined to interview, but it was still eerie seeing others opine on a man that is alive and could have spoken for himself. But I guess that would ruin his diabolical, behind-the-scenes work.

When in doubt, Karl Rove uses HOMOPHOBIA to win elections. Almost all of Bush's opponents were trashed as "gay-lovers" under his schemes. It sickens me that he would use this group to get over, but it sickens me more that so many Americans are so bigoted that they are easy prey to Rove's prejudiced pied-piping.

Mary Matalin is the only pro-Rove interviewee here who is not a white male. This just resignifies how incredibly un-diverse the Republican Party is. But the people have spoken loud and clearly that they don't want diverse leadership. You get you what you ask for.

Now that Rove is receiving negative publicity, it was a bit easier to watch this documentary. I dislike the man, but I can respect his cunning. This documentary was a great way for progressives to learn more about their enemies.