Karl Rove and Howard Dean took to the stage at the University of Colorado at Boulder on Monday and sparred over health care, foreign affairs and whether Republicans or Democrats are to blame for problems plaguing the nation.
The audience of some 2,000 cheered and groaned — setting the tone for the highly charged debate — as Rove, former senior adviser and chief of staff for President George W. Bush, stepped to the podium.
The mastermind of Bush’s presidential campaigns spent 10 minutes recapping “mistakes” made by President Barack Obama, including proposed health care reform and increasing the national debt.
Dean, former Vermont governor and Democratic National Committee chairman, fired back that Obama is trying to fix the previous eight years of “foreign and domestic mess.”
International affairs senior Alex Zinn came prepared to be annoyed at Rove but was surprised by his humor.
“He was making people laugh, and it seemed like his demeanor was more personal,” Zinn said.
Communications senior Nick Carter said both parties’ partisanship made it difficult to support either side.
