--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I would have been a Republican if Karl…" description: "\"I would have been a Republican if Karl Rove had returned my phone calls.\" — Wesley Clark" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/67d/wesley-clark-7521_has-beens_i-would-have-been-a-republican-if-karl-r_2043043.jpg" --- # I would have been a Republican if Karl Rove had returned… ![“I would have been a Republican if Karl Rove had returned my phone calls.” quote by Wesley Clark](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/67d/wesley-clark-7521_has-beens_i-would-have-been-a-republican-if-karl-r_2043043.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/67d/wesley-clark-7521_has-beens_i-would-have-been-a-republican-if-karl-r_2043043.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/67d/wesley-clark-7521_has-beens_i-would-have-been-a-republican-if-karl-r_2043043.jpg) > “I would have been a Republican if Karl Rove had returned my phone calls.” [Wesley Clark](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wesley-clark/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The speaker jokes that political allegiance could change if a political operative returned calls. **In simple terms:** Political loyalty is conditional. Key Takeaway Don’t take political promises seriously. Themes politics humor loyalty Mood wry lighthearted Type satirical observational When to use this quote - campaign work - media interviews - party meetings - networking Key Concepts political strategy personal relationships Questions to Reflect On - What would make you switch parties? - How important are personal connections in politics? A Different Perspective May oversimplify complex political decisions. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Has beens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/has-beens/) [Ifs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ifs/) [Inspirational](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/inspirational/) [Karl Rove](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/karl-rove-696636/) [Phone calls](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/phone-calls/) [Phones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/phones/) [Republican](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/republican/) [Republican Karl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/republican-karl-3812053/) [Rove](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/rove-413415/) [Rove Returned](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/rove-returned-3812052/) [Trump](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/trump/) ## Related quotes > [White House political adviser Karl Rove was one of Robert Novak's sources for the 2003 disclosure of a CIA operative's identity, according to a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andy-borowitz/white-house-political-adviser-karl-rove-was-one-of-robert-novak-s/) [Andy Borowitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andy-borowitz/) > [ If man was devolving into a psychotic pit of rotted plasma, \[Karl\] Rove would be the Alpha of such grime. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/larisa-alexandrovna/if-man-was-devolving-into-a-psychotic-pit-of-rotted-plasma-karl-rove/) [Larisa Alexandrovna](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/larisa-alexandrovna/) > [I figured out Karl Rove's political strategy -- make gas so expensive, no Democrats can afford to go to the polls.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-f-kerry/i-figured-out-karl-rove-s-political-strategy-make-gas-so-expensive-no/) [John F. Kerry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-f-kerry/) > [If this is airing in the future and no one knows who Karl Rove is - he's the reason you all live underground.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eugene-mirman/if-this-is-airing-in-the-future-and-no-one-knows-who-karl-rove-is-he/) [Eugene Mirman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eugene-mirman/) > [I love Karl Rove. He elected Bush.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dick-morris/i-love-karl-rove-he-elected-bush/) [Dick Morris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dick-morris/) > [The mainstream media may have trouble resisting the temptation to declare that Karl Rove has been demoted, but the truth is quite the contrary.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fred-barnes/the-mainstream-media-may-have-trouble-resisting-the-temptation-to/) [Fred Barnes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fred-barnes/) > [“Sheldon Adelson, for example, gave more than $53 million to Super PACs, but all eight of the candidates he supported lost.59 Karl Rove, a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurence-h-tribe/sheldon-adelson-for-example-gave-more-than-53-million-to-super-pacs/) [Laurence H. Tribe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurence-h-tribe/) > [Karl Rove thinks we shouldn’t have Hillary Clinton in the White House because she fell and hit her head a couple years ago, spent…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-maher/karl-rove-thinks-we-shouldn-t-have-hillary-clinton-in-the-white-house/) [Bill Maher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-maher/) > [Any time the other side - Karl Rove or folks on the far right - are going after my father for smiling too much,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/beau-biden/any-time-the-other-side-karl-rove-or-folks-on-the-far-right-are-going/) [Beau Biden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/beau-biden/) > [“In another world - without drugs - Hunter would have been Karl Rove.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/corey-seymour/in-another-world-without-drugs-hunter-would-have-been-karl-rove/) [Corey Seymour](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/corey-seymour/) > [Well, I would never admit to copying Karl Rove's play book, but there's no doubt that what the Bush people did in 2004 was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-plouffe/well-i-would-never-admit-to-copying-karl-rove-s-play-book-but-there-s/) [David Plouffe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-plouffe/) > [Karl Rove told me about Valerie Plame's identity on July 11, 2003. I called him because Ambassador Wilson was in the news that week.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karl-rove/karl-rove-told-me-about-valerie-plame-s-identity-on-july-11-2003-i/) [Karl Rove](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karl-rove/) > [Karl Rove described Obama as "the guy at the country club with the beautiful date, holding a martini, and making snide comments about everyone…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-maher/karl-rove-described-obama-as-the-guy-at-the-country-club-with-the/) [Bill Maher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-maher/) > [For television worth watching, Trump should debate Karl Rove, and both should be tasked with figuring out how to unite Republicans.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mercedes-schlapp/for-television-worth-watching-trump-should-debate-karl-rove-and-both/) [Mercedes Schlapp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mercedes-schlapp/) > [The pundit world, having spent years in awe of Karl Rove, will never understand how bad he is at his White House job.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lawrence-o-donnell/the-pundit-world-having-spent-years-in-awe-of-karl-rove-will-never/) [Lawrence O'Donnell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lawrence-o-donnell/) ## More by Wesley Clark > [I like Hilary Clinton. I think she's - she's a fantastic leader.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wesley-clark/i-like-hilary-clinton-i-think-she-s-she-s-a-fantastic-leader/) [Wesley Clark](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wesley-clark/) > [Maybe it's because I've never been in politics, but I don't believe that America is run by politicians in Washington. I believe it's run…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wesley-clark/maybe-it-s-because-i-ve-never-been-in-politics-but-i-don-t-believe/) [Wesley Clark](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wesley-clark/) > [When we started after Osama bin Laden, we really decided to go after the Taliban. And we seemed to be content to kick the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wesley-clark/when-we-started-after-osama-bin-laden-we-really-decided-to-go-after/) [Wesley Clark](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wesley-clark/) > [There's no question that Saddam Hussein is a threat Yes, he has chemical and biological weapons. He's had those for a long time. But…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wesley-clark/there-s-no-question-that-saddam-hussein-is-a-threat-yes-he-has/) [Wesley Clark](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wesley-clark/) > [I always said I would vote for a resolution that gave the president the leverage to go to the United Nations, and then come…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wesley-clark/i-always-said-i-would-vote-for-a-resolution-that-gave-the-president/) [Wesley Clark](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wesley-clark/) > [The campaign in Iraq illustrates the continuing progress of military technology and tactics, but if there is a single overriding lesson it must be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wesley-clark/the-campaign-in-iraq-illustrates-the-continuing-progress-of-military/) [Wesley Clark](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wesley-clark/) > [Turkey's a NATO member. If Turkey gets attacked, we have to help defend Turkey.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wesley-clark/turkey-s-a-nato-member-if-turkey-gets-attacked-we-have-to-help-defend/) [Wesley Clark](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wesley-clark/) > [What I did warn about when I testified in front of Congress in 2002, I said if you want to worry about a state,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wesley-clark/what-i-did-warn-about-when-i-testified-in-front-of-congress-in-2002-i/) [Wesley Clark](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wesley-clark/) > [It's important. One of the principles in the United States is civilian control of the military.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wesley-clark/it-s-important-one-of-the-principles-in-the-united-states-is-civilian/) [Wesley Clark](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wesley-clark/) > [President George Bush had the courage and the vision and we will always be grateful to President George Bush for that tremendous leadership and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wesley-clark/president-george-bush-had-the-courage-and-the-vision-and-we-will/) [Wesley Clark](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wesley-clark/) > [Once I started first grade, I started going to Emmanuel Baptist Church regularly. I went to Sunday school. We had Bible readings and things…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wesley-clark/once-i-started-first-grade-i-started-going-to-emmanuel-baptist-church/) [Wesley Clark](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wesley-clark/) > [I think there are some mass destruction capabilities that are still inside Iraq. I think there's some weapons that have been shipped over the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wesley-clark/i-think-there-are-some-mass-destruction-capabilities-that-are-still/) [Wesley Clark](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wesley-clark/) > [Well we always need brave, capable young men and women who can run a tactical operation and take risks on the battlefield but you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wesley-clark/well-we-always-need-brave-capable-young-men-and-women-who-can-run-a/) [Wesley Clark](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wesley-clark/) > [In my experience, in bringing coercive diplomacy to bear against Slobodan Milosevic, no bomb strike was more important than maintaining NATO's cohesion.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wesley-clark/in-my-experience-in-bringing-coercive-diplomacy-to-bear-against/) [Wesley Clark](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wesley-clark/) > [As president of the United States, my top priority will be to keep America safe. We're going to go after the terrorist networks. We're…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wesley-clark/as-president-of-the-united-states-my-top-priority-will-be-to-keep/) [Wesley Clark](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wesley-clark/) [Explore all 90 Wesley Clark quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wesley-clark/) ## More Has beens quotes > [Whatever meaning 'Annie's Song' had for me on a personal level, there was also a larger context. 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The idea of them as agents and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/grace-lee-boggs/the-image-of-blacks-usually-is-one-of-people-who-are-suffering-from/) [Grace Lee Boggs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/grace-lee-boggs/) > [Mankind have been slow to believe that order reigns in the universe-that the world is a cosmos and a chaos.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-a-garfield/mankind-have-been-slow-to-believe-that-order-reigns-in-the-universe/) [James A. Garfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-a-garfield/) > [We find few historians who have been diligent enough in their search for truth; it is their common method to take on trust what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-dryden/we-find-few-historians-who-have-been-diligent-enough-in-their-search/) [John Dryden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-dryden/) > [Gambling has held human beings in thrall for millennia. It has been engaged in everywhere, from the dregs of society to the most respectable…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-l-bernstein/gambling-has-held-human-beings-in-thrall-for-millennia-it-has-been/) [Peter L. Bernstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-l-bernstein/) > [And I have been very blessed, having coached some of the greatest that have ever played the game. But if I had to start…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/red-auerbach/and-i-have-been-very-blessed-having-coached-some-of-the-greatest-that/) [Red Auerbach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/red-auerbach/) > [My folks tried to make a preacher of me and missed by a narrow margin… I would have made a good one if I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-a-heinlein/my-folks-tried-to-make-a-preacher-of-me-and-missed-by-a-narrow-margin/) [Robert A. Heinlein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-a-heinlein/) > [Here's the reality. 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