Opinion: Karl Rove on McCain’s VP and Sarah Palin’s “big hello” tonight

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ST. PAUL, Minn. -- This is the first time in nearly a decade that Karl Rove, once called George W. Bush’s brain, is not chief strategist for a major presidential campaign.

He won two of them in a row for the former Republican Texas governor, which has earned him the animosity of many Democrats and a highly visible job as a commentator on Fox News.

Before going on the air tonight from the Republican National Convention here, Rove, who’s also writing an eagerly awaited behind-the-scenes book on his political experiences, took a couple of minutes off this afternoon to share some observations with The Ticket (see video below) on Sen. John McCain’s choice of Sarah Palin as his vice presidential running mate.

He also talks about what Gov. Palin must do in her speech here tonight before some 20,000 Republicans eager to love her and before millions of Americans watching at home eager to see her and make a crucial first judgment about the Republican’s VP nominee-to-be.

He calls these first few days of Palin’s existence in the national consciousness her ‘big hello.’ (P.S. The audio isn’t great. Turn it up. Sorry. But we’re learning and will get better. Wait till you hear Jon Voight later today!)

-- Andrew Malcolm

Video by Andrew Malcolm