Karl Rove
Americans don't approve of Karl Rove's outlandish claims about Hillary Clinton's health, but that doesn't mean Rove isn't sitting home cackling like a Bond villain:
Two-thirds of Americans in a new Washington Post-ABC News poll disapprove of the Republican strategist raising questions about Clinton's age and health in advance of her potential presidential run. The lopsided negative reaction to Rove's commentary -- just 26 percent approve of his topic of criticism -- includes majorities of every age group as well as Democrats and independents. Republicans split evenly on the issue, with 45 percent approving and 46 percent disapproving of Rove broaching the issue.
This is a sign of Clinton's strength, but it's also pretty much mission accomplished for Rove: He's got major news organizations going out to poll 1,017 people about whether they "approve or disapprove of political strategist Karl Rove raising questions about Hillary Clinton's age and health." Not whether they approve or disapprove of Karl Rove claiming Clinton was in the hospital when she was only there for a few days, but her "age and health." Whatever the approval levels in this poll, Rove has successfully gotten the basic question into the media debate about the presidential race. He doesn't mind if he looks like a pile of crap doing it.