Karl Rove’s Advice

Karl Rove is the former deputy chief of staff and senior advisor to President George W. Bush. He’s also a master political strategist, both revered and reviled as the architect of President Bush’s two terms in office.

He joins "The Takeaway" to offer his advice to candidates from both parties.

According to Rove, voters want authenticity and story lines that don’t seem contrived: "They understand that people are being portrayed as perfect as speeches, film, staging … can make them … but what they want is to have a sense of authenticity."

Rove says John McCain has three things he needs to do: first, he needs to have a public awareness of his character, his warrior ethic, and feel comfortable talking about it.

Second, he needs to persuade people that he can tackle domestic challenges — people look at him and say he can handle foreign policy, but where people have doubt is whether he understands American’s concerns about jobs, healthcare, education — "does he have a vision for the domestic side that matters?"

Third, McCain has to make it clear that he’ll stay true to who he is, a maverick who works across party lines.

As for Barack Obama, Rove says he doesn’t have to persuade people, he just has to reassure people that he’s up to the job.

"The Takeaway" is PRI’s new national morning news program, delivering the news and analysis you need to catch up, start your day, and prepare for what’s ahead. The show is a co-production of WNYC and PRI, in editorial collaboration with the BBC, The New York Times Radio, and WGBH.

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