Rove thinks the economic issues will just ebb and flow away

Republicans really don't get the horrible shape of the economy. They think it's just an issue that people only focused on because of the near collapse of the country's financial system. Everyday, families are facing the near collapse of their own financial systems. That's why people are focused on the economy. It's personal and people are very worried. It might not be true for John and Cindy McCain or Karl Rove and their friend, but it is true for most people.

The Republicans really think they can change the subject from the economy. Rove sounds convinced:

But Karl Rove, a former political strategist for President Bush who twice pulled off victories in Ohio, told The Washington Times: "It is not slipping away: Watch the polls in the Buckeye State over the next couple of weeks."

"Remember, the campaign ebbs and flows," he said Sunday morning on Fox News. "What we're seeing here is a result of the focus of the American people, voters, on the economic problems that have dominated the news the last several weeks. What's happened then is a shift to Obama."

Mr. Rove noted on Fox that "this race is susceptible to rapid changes and we're likely to see, in the remaining four weeks, more changes."

Still, the Republican faces a herculean task after a perfect storm has blown into Ohio.

Rove barely eked out a victory in Ohio in 2004 when Bush made national security the dominant issue. It's a different world. It's the economy. And, John McCain and the Republicans are stupid about the economy.

Although the punditry swoon whenever Rove speaks, the GOP's guru has clearly lost his touch. Two years ago, in late October as the signs were building that the Democrats would take the House and possibly the Senate, Rove confidently predicted the GOP would retain both the House and Senate:

SIEGEL: I'm looking at all the same polls that you are looking at.

ROVE: No, you are not. I'm looking at 68 polls a week for candidates for the US House and US Senate, and Governor and you may be looking at 4-5 public polls a week that talk attitudes nationally.

SIEGEL: I don't want to have you to call races...

ROVE: I'm looking at all of these Robert and adding them up. I add up to a Republican Senate and Republican House. You may end up with a different math but you are entitled to your math and I'm entitled to THE math.

SIEGEL: I don't know if we're entitled to a different math but your...

ROVE: I said THE math.

THE math is going to work the same way in 2008.