A master political strategist on the value of language (and Shakespeare)

Karl Rove

Karl Rove

Regardless of where you stand politically, it is hard to deny that Karl Rove is one of the most brilliant and effective political strategists in recent memory. He never graduated from college, but he does tout the incredible value of what he learned there...in English class:

"The best course I ever took in college was in my sophomore year, and it was a course in Shakespearean literature. I learned more about political communications in one semester from a Catholic nun than I learned in any political science course. It made me aware of the power of language. And how, telling a story -- a political campaign is about big issues, but you have to describe a narrative, you have to create a storyline, you know -- what is this all about?"

-- Karl Rove, in an interview with Stephen Dubner, in the Freakonomics Radio Podcast, "Freakonomics Goes to College, Part 1," 30 July 2012

So, for all the English teachers out there, happy continued teaching of such a relevant and powerful discipline.

Image: White House. Karl Rove. Digital image. Wikimedia Commons. Wikipedia, n.d. Web. 16 Aug. 2012.