Boy Genius: Karl Rove, the Brains Behind the Remarkable Political Triumph of George W. Bush

by Lou Dubose, Carl M. Cannon, Jan Reid

How did George W. Bush-a man of little political experience, little policy know-how, and no clear positions on national issues-become President? How, in the midst of national economic freefall, did the Republicans win complete control of Congress in the 2002 midterm elections? Political insiders credit Karl Rove, a brilliant political consultant and tactician who Bush calls "Boy Genius." Where did Rove come from and how has he engineered his candidates' victories? Even more important, what does he want? In Boy Genius , two seasoned political reporters who know Rove from his many, fruitfully manipulative years as a political consultant in Texas and a nationally known White House correspondent fill readers in on the man and his methods. From running a dirty tricks school and bugging his own office, to masterminding the defeat of popular Governor Ann Richards in Texas, to seeing and harnessing the potential in George W. Bush ("Political hacks like me wait a lifetime for a guy like this to come along," Rove said of the future President), to the master plan for the 2002 elections, Dubose, Reid and Cannon detail Rove's ascendancy to the top of our national political life, illuminating along the way both the dirty underside of politics and Rove's vision for who should be governing our country and how. Boy Genius is a fascinating, entertaining look at the political life of the Man Who Would Be Kingmaker-and a disconcerting expose about exactly how American politics works.

Genres: Politics, Biography

272 pages, Paperback

First published December 31, 2002

Reviews

[Jeff Carpenter]

Whether or not you agree with Rove's politics, most people will agree that Karl Rove is a top shelf political operative. This book gives you an insider's view to his beginnings in Texas, the election's of 2000 and 2004, and his career in Washington. Great read for history lovers and those that enjoy current events.

[Steve]

Read this a few years back. Scary, of course, but I wouldn't recommend it.

[Dan]

Carl Rove is turd blossom.

[Garrett]

Interesting and well-written book for anyone curious about Texas politics.

[Jan Strong]

All about my friend Karl-not authorized and some marginally correct things..I'll wait for his book-coming sometime in the future

[Vickie]

Love him or hate him. The man got game. Very interesting person. Deserves all the props he gets. President Bush was lucky to have him on his side instead of opposing him.

[Mary Newcomb]

This is the story of Karl Rove, the brains behind George W Bush. It is fascinating and important reading.

[Jarrett Ray]

The authors are liberals, but they nonetheless cover a lot of ground. The background of how Rove transformed Texas is particularly interesting.

[Shirley]

Very interesting maneuvering on Karl's part.

[Ryan]

Excellent, honest take on the evolution of a new american icon. Turns out he really is a dick.