Baby, can you dig your man?

In The Eyes of the Dragon, Stephen King positions the villain not as the ruler of the kingdom of Delain, but as the advisor in the shadows: Flagg, the King's magician. Of course, Flagg is more than he appears, and we learn he's actually been living for several hundred years, coming to Delain under various names and disguises, and attempting the destroy the government every time. In the novel, he is the architect of King Thomas's rise to power, and becomes indispensable -- young Thomas panics when he thinks Flagg will leave him and pleads with him to stay. Flagg, of course, does, and nearly succeeds in his plan.

King explains Flagg's methodology: He could make himself the King, no question, but why? When things go bad, people blame the King. Flagg prefers to be the whispering voice in the King's ear, let everything go to hell, and then vaporize when the tipping point is reached and the populace comes for the King's head.

I was reminded of this a few moments ago when I read that Karl Rove has resigned:

Karl Rove, President Bush's close friend and chief political strategist, plans to leave the White House at the end of August, joining a lengthening line of senior officials heading for the exits in the final 1 1/2 years of the administration.

On board with Bush since the beginning of his political career in Texas, Rove was nicknamed "the architect" and "boy genius" by the president for designing the strategy that twice won him the White House. Critics call Rove "Bush's brain."[...]

Rove became one of Washington's most influential figures during Bush's presidency. He is known as a ruthless political warrior who has an encyclopedic command of political minutiae and a wonkish love of policy. Rove met Bush in the early 1970s, when both men were in their 20s.

Once inside the White House, Rove grew into a right-hand man.

Seriously, I should be glad he's gone. But I'm just creeped out. As I always am by Rove.

I mean, he can't be Randall Flagg, can he?

...Can he?