Overview
- Republican strategist Karl Rove used a Wall Street Journal op-ed to name Andy Beshear, Cory Booker, and Rahm Emanuel as Democrats who show a “winning formula” for 2028.
- He argued Democrats trail in popularity because of what he called “hysterical messaging” and a tactic of running liberal candidates as independents.
- Rove said Beshear has the right tone yet can seem wooden, urging Democrats to explain their “why” in plain language that feels authentic.
- He praised Booker’s Michigan convention speech for stressing unity and a positive call to action rather than attacks on President Trump.
- Rove cast Emanuel as a centrist with practical fixes and said the three are outliers, adding that Democrats still have time to recalibrate before the 2026 midterms and the 2028 race.