Karl Rove was once the man behind two successful GOP Presidential campaigns.
From there he became one of the biggest talking heads on the Fox News Channel.
But now Rove is putting out a campaign ad that is stabbing Republicans in the back.
The Architect is building division
At one point, Karl Rove was the leading strategist for the Republican Party.
Rove was so committed to the GOP, he made a fool of himself on election night 2012, defending to his last breath Mitt Romney’s path to victory, long after it was clear Barack Obama was going to win re-election.
However, by the next election cycle, Rove’s tune had changed.
Donald Trump had won his way to the Republican nomination for President and Rove wasn’t happy about it.
The Never-Trumper has been hedging his bets ever since.
But, perhaps, his biggest hedge yet just happened in Pennsylvania.
Two big-money races in Pennsylvania
Big money is flowing into the Keystone State to help put Dr. Mehmet Oz over the top and keep the seat in GOP hands.
And Dr. Oz isn’t the only recipient of Republican money funneling into Pennsylvania.
The Republican candidate for Governor, Trump-endorsed Doug Mastriano, is running a tight race against current PA Attorney General Josh Shapiro.
Restoration PAC has committed $800,000 in ad buys to help current State Senator Mastriano obtain a promotion to the Governor’s chair.
Their ad slams Shapiro for his policies as Attorney General that have led to massive crime spikes across the state.
“On Attorney General Josh Shapiro’s watch, crime isn’t just in cities anymore,” the ad begins. “Since Shapiro took office, violent crime has exploded across the commonwealth. While crime got worse and violent protests devastated our communities, Josh Shapiro went soft on criminals and tough on police. Now, more police are leaving the job than ever before. More criminals, fewer cops.”
Crime in major Pennsylvania cities has reached a point where the staple Philadelphia company Wawa has announced the closure of two City Center locations – citing “continued safety and security challenges and business factors.”
Another act of betrayal
But Rove’s ad takes a very different approach.
The political strategist thought it would be a good idea to attack Lt. Governor and Democrat U.S. Senate nominee John Fetterman for his pro-crime policies, by saying how much tougher Shapiro is.
“John Fetterman’s record on crime is crazy,” said a voter during the American Crossroads PAC commercial.
“He’s not like most Democrats,” another voter adds.
“225 times, Josh Shapiro voted against the criminals,” another woman chimes in. “But Fetterman voted to release them — that’s nuts,” exclaims a second. “Fetterman is way more radical than Shapiro,” says a third.
Rove doubled down on his PAC’s ad in an appearance on Fox News Sunday – where he called Shapiro a “more centrist candidate,” while Mastriano is an “extremist outside of the mainstream.”
As for the American Crossroads claim that Shapiro, “votes against the criminals,” it just doesn’t hold up to scrutiny.
Crime and safety are on the ballot in 2022
Shapiro’s policies as Attorney General have resulted in a 500-officer shortage in Philadelphia.
The City of Brotherly Love has seen a massive spike in crime since Shapiro came into office, including homicide spiking from 353 the year before Shapiro took office to 562 in the last year.
Property crimes have also skyrocketed by more than 30%, and all-around violent crime is up about 5% year-over-year.
But for Rove, that’s a tough-on-crime, moderate record.
Deplorable Daily will keep you up-to-date on any developments to this ongoing story.
