Not Machiavelli, but Robespierre?
Dr. Jim Booth – aka sirpaulsbuddy – thinks I may be off in my earlier suggestion that the Dems need to get themselves a Machiavelli. In his view, what is called for is instead a Robespierre, an uncompromising flamethrower of civic virtue.
Maybe. Perhaps it depends on how much credit you give the public. I’ve been cynical of late (and by “of late,” I mean “since I was born”) and can’t help thinking that Karl Rove would slather Robepierre’s balls in sausage gravy and helicopter-drop him naked in the heart of wolf country. Robespierre was big on virtue, but does the American public even have the organs required to recognize virtue when it sees it?
I’ve been wrong before, and may be wrong now. In any case, Booth’s take is well worth thinking about.
lullaby pit 
Robespierre
Robespierre was more than willing to cut off the head of anybody who didn’t live up to his definition of “civic virtue.” A character like I’m talking about would have Rove’s head on a pike outside his office as a reminder to others of his type. He would, of course, publicly ponder its terrible significance for the cameras every time he entered or exited that office. But once he got IN that office, oh, baby….
Note, too, that I mentioned Marat. He’d be the guy CALLING for Rove’s head so loudly and persuasively that Robespierre “would have no choice” but to “bow to the public’s wish” and have Rove pay the price for “lack of civic virtue.”
Marat to manipulate the public into believing they want it, Robespierre to play hammer of the gods and then absolve himself and the public when the deed is done. The only contemporary analogy that comes to mind is RFK and JFK. Only I want them more ruthless, so Marat and Robespierre….