Is Karl Rove using reverse psychology?

Karl Rove, versus Christine O'Donnell.  Is it dumb for Rove to be dissing a Tea Party candidate so close to the general election?  After all isn't it playing into the hands of the far left - the Daily Kos types who will be quoting him six ways to Sunday as if they suddenly have new found respect for his pronouncements?  Maybe not.

Rove managed to ramp up the emotion on the right, amongst the Tea Party types, and perhaps in Delaware among independents as well.  After all if he paints himself as the bad guy, and gets more voters out for O'Donnell, if only out of anti-establishment spite, he's actually helping her.  And maybe that's his intention.  There's an anti-establishment mood out there.  He certainly has gotten people riled up - myself included.  Capitalizing on it will certainly help get out the vote for O'Donnell.  Meanwhile, the far left was going to vote against her anyway.  With her as the underdog, his voice probably does far less for the turnout on the left.  Is Karl Rove using reverse psychology? Maybe, and if so, good for him because it definitely will help O'Donnell out and it's brilliant in it's subtlety.  Or am I giving him too much credit?