RNC chairman: Karl Rove's attacks are "a fool's game"

"These biologically stupid things that people say" are the problem, he said, not the GOP platform [UPDATED]

Published March 8, 2013 10:38PM (EST)

Update - March 11, 8:33 a.m.: RNC spokesman Sean Spicer clarified to Salon that Preibus was not referring to Rove's effort, but rather that engaging in such an effort would be "a fool's game" for the RNC.

From earlier:

RNC Chairman Reince Priebus said that Karl Rove's plan to target far-right conservatives in the primaries, like potential Iowa Senate candidate Rep. Steve King, is "a fool's game because you can’t actually predict some of the things that go on.”

“Listen, I don’t think our platform is the issue,” Priebus said, Radio Iowa reports. “I think a lot of times it’s some of these biologically stupid things that people say, you know, that I believe caused a lot of the problems.”

He continued: "Personally, as an RNC [Chair], I don’t believe in that. I don’t believe the party should pick winners and losers in primaries and I think it’s, historically, if you look at it, it’s a bit of a fool’s game because you can’t actually predict some of the things that go on.”


By Jillian Rayfield

Jillian Rayfield is an Assistant News Editor for Salon, focusing on politics. Follow her on Twitter at @jillrayfield or email her at jrayfield@salon.com.

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2014 Elections Iowa Karl Rove Reince Priebus Rnc Steve King