Axelrod: Election shows PACs ‘can’t buy the White House’

Obama campaign senior strategist David Axelrod said Thursday that if he were a Republican billionaire who donated to a conservative super-PACs during this election, he would want his money back.

Speaking to reporters on a conference call two days after Obama won reelection, Axelrod said one key takeaway of the presidential race and other congressional races, is the ineffectiveness of the super-PACs.

“If I were one of these billionaires, I'd be wanting to talk to someone and asking where my refund is, because they didn't get much for their money,” Axelrod said. “Just looking at the heartening news is that you can't buy the White House. You can't overwhelm the Congress with these super-PAC dollars.”

Axelrod added that he thinks there will be some “reluctance” in future elections when strategist Karl Rove, who headed up the super-PAC “American Crossroads,” comes “knocking on the door” and asking for money.

Speaking to FOX News on Thursday, Rove said Team Obama “succeeded by suppressing the vote.”

“They effectively denigrated Mitt Romney's character, business acumen, experience,” Rove said.

Rove suggested that Romney should have gone more on the offensive, countering the Obama campaign's relentless attacks.

He said the outside group doesn't “do defense all that well.”

“Sometimes the most effective response in politics is to respond directly to the charge,” he said.

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