12 game-changing thrill rides

Dare you ride it? The first wooden coaster that features a double barrel roll as well as the world's steepest first drop on a wooden coaster (162 feet at 81 degrees) can be found at Silver Dollar City.

"The combination of Mary Blair's iconic design work combined with the Sherman Brothers' enduring theme song made It's a Small World the first true theme park ride," says Robert Niles, editor of ThemeParkInsider.com, of this Disney stalwart.

No more pinballing your head between the restraints after the Mack company built the first upside-down coaster without an overhead restraint that was both comfortable and safe.

The first tubular steel continuous track roller coaster may be the biggest game changer in the history of thrill rides. This historic coaster's foundation is a pile of dirt which was excavated during the construction of another attraction at Disneyland.

"Nothing beats it. It redefines the word 'immersiveness' -- it's beautiful, it's suspenseful and thrilling." Stefan Zwanzger, theme park expert and founder of thethemeparkguy.com, says this Tokyo DisneySea ride is the world's best themed ride experience.

Potterheads or not, the high-tech ride Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey at the Islands of Adventure park in Orlando is credited as "the first ride system to combine a tracked dark ride vehicle with a row of seats mounted to the end of an industrial robotic arm."

When introduced in 1964, audiences thought the animatronic Mr. Lincoln was an actor in wondrous disguise.

The double, racing roller coaster reintroduced wooden coasters to the world when it opened at Kings Island in 1972. It was the first wooden roller coaster built since 1947.

Yet another Disneyland attraction, this one opened in 1963 and was the first to feature audio animatronics. It remains one of Disneyland's most popular attractions.

Definitely not the most thrilling ride in the world, but Tokyo Disneyland's ride was the first trackless ride on which passenger pods -- in this case large honey pots -- were able to move in different directions.

Though now retired, Disneyland's Adventure Thru Inner Space was the first ride to allow passengers to change the direction they faced as the ride progressed, using a system known as Omnimover.

This ride at the Islands of Adventure park in Orlando, Florida, has realer-than-real-life 3D effects and has been awarded the best dark ride for 12 consecutive years by Amusement Today's Golden Ticket award.

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

11

12

• It's a Small World is still one of Disneyland's most popular attractions


• Blue Fire at Europa Park in Germany is the first upside-down roller coaster without a restraint


• Pooh's Hunny Hunt in Tokyo Disneyland freed designers from the restrictions of a linear track

(CNN) -- Disney's It's a Small World ride turned 50 in April.

By way of tribute, we asked top industry experts for their picks for the biggest game changers in the history of theme park attractions.

Most insane new U.S. roller coasters

It's a Small World, Disneyland (California, 1971)

It's painfully upbeat, fabulously kitsch and impossible to forget, but what exactly makes It's a Small World so special?

"The ride demonstrates the power of employing artists to create an experience rather than simply asking engineers to build a ride," says Robert Niles, editor of ThemeParkInsider.com.

"The combination of Mary Blair's iconic design work combined with the Sherman Brothers' enduring theme song made It's a Small World the first true theme park ride.

"This wasn't some generic tunnel of love ride -- it inspired Pirates of the Caribbean, the Haunted Mansion and the new generation of theme park dark rides that followed."

Disneyland , 1313 Disneyland Drive, Anaheim, California; +1 714 781 4565

Outlaw Run, Silver Dollar City (Missouri, 2013)

Outlaw Run, the first wooden roller coaster with multiple inversions, opened in 2013.

"A few years ago, Idaho-based company Rocky Mountain Construction developed a system where they could replace part of a wooden track with a steel plate," says Justin Garvanovic of the European Coaster Club.

"One major upshot was that it would now be possible to send wooden coasters upside down. The first example, Outlaw Run, saw the creation of something completely new.

"It's hard for a ride over 100 years old to do something 'game changing,' but Outlaw Run did exactly that."

Silver Dollar City , 399 Silver Dollar City Parkway, Branson, Missouri; +1 800 475 9370

MORE: 9 of the scariest, best waterpark rides

Blue Fire: No restraint, no problem.

Blue Fire, Europa Park (Rust, Germany, 2009)

This German theme park ride catapults riders from zero to 71 mph in 2.5 seconds, but it's regarded as a game changer for other reasons.

"For years companies tried to create a roller coaster with perfect track geometry -- meaning smooth -- and a perfect train," says Justin Garvanovic of the European Coaster Club.

"The problem was the overhead restraint, which could be uncomfortable.

"When [theme park supplier] Mack decided to build its first upside-down coaster in 2009, engineers also decided to design one without an overhead restraint.

"The result was comfortable and safe, and seven more have since opened -- Mack can't build them fast enough."

Europa Park , Europa-Park-Strasse 2, Rust, Germany; +49 7822 776688

Matterhorn Bobsleds, Disneyland (California, 1959)

The foundation for this attraction is actually a pile of dirt that was excavated during the construction of the moat around Sleeping Beauty's Castle -- a surprising start for what would become one of the world's most famous theme park rides.

"This is the first tubular steel continuous track roller coaster," says Tim O'Brien, vice president of communications at Ripley Entertainment.

"The tubular steel roller coaster is probably the biggest game changer in rides. It allowed for larger rides and for more variation, with sharper turns, sharper slopes, loops and corkscrews."

Disneyland , 1313 Disneyland Drive, Anaheim, California; +1 714 781 4565

Journey to the Center of the Earth, Tokyo DisneySea (Tokyo, 2001)

On Journey to the Center of the Earth, mushroom forests, electrified gas clouds and lava monsters all help transport riders to another dimension.

"In my opinion, this Jules Verne-inspired volcano dark ride is the world's best themed experience," says Stefan Zwanzger, theme park expert and founder of thethemeparkguy.com.

"Nothing beats it. It redefines the word 'immersiveness.'

"It's beautiful, it's suspenseful and thrilling. I've never seen anyone disembarking looking disappointed."

Tokyo DisneySea , 1-1 Maihama, Urayasu, Chiba Prefecture, Japan; +81 45 330 5211

MORE: Child paradise, aka world's largest Legoland Water Park, opens

Magic, mystery and high-tech wizadry.

Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey, Islands of Adventure (Florida, 2010)

Whether you're a fan of the boy wizard or wish he'd magic himself away to another planet, it's hard not to be impressed by this high-tech ride.

"Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey was the first ride system to combine a tracked dark ride vehicle with a row of seats mounted to the end of an industrial robotic arm," says Craig Hanna, chief creative officer at theme park design firm Thinkwell Group.

"The things that ride system could do with guests created the viewpoint that you are the camera in an astonishingly cinematic ride experience."

Islands of Adventure , 6000 Universal Blvd., Universal Orlando Resort, Orlando, Florida; +1 407 224 4233

MORE: Harry Potter theme park opening in Florida this summer

Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln, Disneyland (California, 1964)

A talking, moving character might not sound incredibly exciting but the animatronic Mr Lincoln character, which now forms part of the Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln audio-animatronic stage show, left audiences speechless when it first appeared.

"Mr. Lincoln, which was introduced by Disney at the 1964 New York World Fair, introduced the first generation of animated characters," says Dennis L. Speigel, president of International Theme Park Services.

"People hadn't seen anything like it -- they thought the animation was an actor in disguise.

"Mr. Lincoln launched a new era in theme park offerings."

Disneyland , 1313 Disneyland Drive, Anaheim, California; +1 714 781 4565

At King's Island, it's a race with no losers.

The Racer, Kings Island (Ohio, 1972)

This double, racing roller coaster is regarded as a crucial part of the renaissance of the roller coaster in the early 1970s -- a time referred to as the industry's second golden age.

"This ride was introduced in 1972 and was the first wooden roller coaster built since 1947," says Speigel.

"It was a game changer for the global industry in that it was the reintroduction of the wooden roller coaster.

"Park operators came from all over the world to see it, and it truly launched the wooden coaster on a global basis."

Kings Island , 6300 Kings Island Drive, Kings Island, Ohio; +1 513 754 5700

MORE: 11 top theme parks opening soon

Walt Disney's Enchanted Tiki Room, Disneyland (California, 1963)

Talking macaws, Maori gods and a magic fountain are all vital components of the Polynesian-themed animatronic show.

The fact that it remains one of Disneyland's most popular attractions is impressive considering that it opened in 1963.

"This was the world's first use of audio animatronics," explains Robert Niles, editor of ThemeParkInsider.com.

"It also employed the animated elements in a fully immersive environment that broke the fourth wall of the stage or screen, surrounding people in music and animation."

Disneyland , 1313 Disneyland Drive, Anaheim, California; +1 714 781 4565

Adventure Thru Inner Space, Disneyland (California, 1967)

Gone but not forgotten (it closed in 1985), this retro theme park ride was the first to use Disney's patented Omnimover system.

"The Omnimover ride system allowed ride designers, for the first time, to change the direction that riders were facing as they moved through the ride," says Robert Niles at ThemeParkinsider.com.

"No longer did you simply face the ride vehicle in front of you. Vehicles could swivel to redirect attention to animation elements located on either side of passengers, giving designers more opportunities to shape an immersive narrative experience."

Disneyland , 1313 Disneyland Drive, Anaheim, California; +1 714 781 4565

Calm and soothing wins the day at Pooh's Hunny Hunt.

Pooh's Hunny Hunt, Tokyo Disneyland (Tokyo, 2000)

This ride doesn't offer high speed thrills or frightening monsters -- unless you've got a teddy bear phobia.

It's the way passengers move around in their super-sized honey pots that sets the ride apart.

"Pooh's Hunny Hunt was a huge game changer because this was the first trackless ride and the first time ride designers were no longer forced to use a linear path," says Craig Hanna at Thinkwell Group.

"The vehicles split in different directions, they dance, they pull into scenes and pause.

"I left that ride giddy at the possibilities."

Tokyo Disneyland , 1-1 Maihama, Urayasu, Chiba Prefecture, Japan; +81 45 330 5211

MORE: Haw Par Villa: World's most bizarre family park

The Amazing Adventures of Spider-Man, Islands of Adventure (Florida, 1999)

This ride took three years to build but it appears the effort was worthwhile -- it's won several awards and has been awarded Amusement Today's Golden Ticket award for best dark ride for 12 consecutive years.

"One real game changer is the Spider-Man ride system and its multimedia technology," says Maximilian Roeser at Mack rides.

"The 3D effects are so highly detailed and synchronized to the movement of the cars that you hardly can tell what is projection and what is real set."

Islands of Adventure , 6000 Universal Blvd., Universal Orlando Resort, Orlando, Florida; +1 407 224 4233

Tamara Hinson is a freelance journalist based in the UK.

Japan's 'anti-loneliness' cafe

At Tokyo's Moomin House Cafe, lone patrons are seated with a plush toy for company.

Blog posts on the cafe's concept went viral a few weeks ago. Ever since, the shop has been packed with visitors. The best time to go is a weekday morning (pictured) when it's relatively quiet.

The cafe features a family of Finnish hippo-like characters called Moomins who live in Moomin Valley and embark on various adventures with their friends.

No need to scroll self-consciously on your phone while dining alone here. Moomins come around to every table, whether you're alone or in a group.

While there are three Moomin Cafe locations in Japan, the Tokyo Dome cafe is popular with Dome concert goers.

Moomintroll (L) and his girlfriend the Snork Maiden hope for a double date.

Created by Finnish illustrator and writer Tove Jansson, Moomins have developed a cult following worldwide, inspiring Moomin-themed products, shops and even a theme park in Finland. Another park is slated to open in Japan in 2015.

Moomin House Cafe features bread made from Finnish rye and food in the shape of Moomin characters, such as Hattifattener cookies (pictured).

This year marks the 100th anniversary of the birth of Moomins creator, Tove Jansson, who was born in 1914 and died in 2001.

• At Tokyo's Moomin House Cafe, lone patrons are seated with a stuffed animal for company


• The cafe has seen a surge in visitors since its "anti-loneliness" concept went viral


• Originally from Finland, Moomin characters are popular in Japan

(CNN) -- Talk about creative coping mechanisms for being alone -- from the blogger who photographs selfies with his imaginary girlfriend to the company that takes your stuffed animals on vacation without you, Japan appears to be cornering the market on accommodating solo travelers.

You can now add the "anti-loneliness" Moomin House Cafe to the menagerie of "wait, what?" strokes of Japanese brilliance.

We first wrote about the Moomin House Cafe in 2012, but the cafe went viral a few weeks ago and has since been besieged with customers wanting a taste of its "anti-loneliness" magic. CNN's Yuki Arawaka paid a visit (see gallery photos) following the cafe's new surge in popularity.

To save its lone customers from the awkward perils of solo dining, the cafe kindly seats diners with stuffed animal companions called Moomins, a family of white hippo-like characters created by Finnish illustrator and writer Tove Jansson.

Moomins are brought to each table so that patrons -- solo or in groups -- can have a turn sitting with them.

Weekday mornings are the quietest time, while weekends are packed all day long.

Sukiyabashi Jiro: The world's best sushi bar

Respecting Moomin culture

To honor the characters' heritage, Moomin House Cafe serves bread made from Finnish rye, and offers food and pastries in the form of Moomin characters.

Cafe staff say there have been long lines almost every day since its "lonely-friendly" concept went viral.

It's a long overdue turn in the spotlight -- the cafe has been open since 2003.

There are now three Moomin Cafe locations in Japan -- the Tokyo Dome location is especially popular with Dome concert goers.

Beloved for their whimsical adventures and diverse array of characters, Moomins are celebrated in their home country of Finland and anime-obsessed Japan.

This year marks the 100th anniversary of the birth of their creator, Tove Jansson, who was born in 1914 and died in 2001.

A Moomin theme park is a popular destination in Finland.

Another one is slated to open next year in Japan.

Moomin House Cafe , Tokyo Dome City LaQua shop, 1-1-1 Kasuga, Bunkyo, Tokyo; +81 3 5842 6300; 8 a.m.-10 p.m.

11 extremely practical Japan travel tips

Beyonce, Jay Z, Solange break silence

Jay Z and his sister-in-law Solange Knowles, right, reportedly had an altercation at a Met Gala after-party at New York's Standard Hotel on May 5. Security camera footage that appeared on TMZ doesn't tell the whole story, but there are plenty of pictures of the rapper, his wife, Beyonce, and her sister leaving the party. Here's what photographers captured after the alleged tussle:

Jay Z touches his face as he leaves the Standard Hotel with his wife, Beyonce. Earlier surveillance footage from a hotel elevator showed what appeared to be Jay Z's sister-in-law first lunging at him, then swinging and kicking him, while a woman resembling Beyonce stood quietly to the side.

Beyonce placidly faces photographers upon leaving the party as her husband follows. In the video footage, it appeared that the man resembling Jay Z refrained from engaging in the fight.

According to reports, Jay Z and Beyonce, who married in 2008, walked out together but then departed in separate cars. An onlooker told People magazine that Jay Z approached the vehicle waiting for his wife and sister-in-law but then hesitated and "walked down the block and got in a car."

The onlooker also told People magazine that Solange didn't look disheveled but did appear "mad as hell." Beyonce seemed collected, smiling for the crowd outside the hotel.

Beyonce departed the party with her sister following the alleged altercation. It isn't clear what prompted the outburst.

• Solange Knowles, Jay Z and his wife, Beyonce, release a statement


• TMZ released video showing an altercation between Solange and Jay Z in an elevator


• They say they have "worked through it," saying all families have their problems


• The statement refutes that Solange was intoxicated

(CNN) -- We may never know the why -- though there has been no shortage of speculation on the Internet -- but at least now we know what the Carter-Knowles family has to say about their already infamous elevator fight.

Solange Knowles, Jay Z and his wife, Beyonce, have released a statement about surveillance video originally posted by TMZ showing Solange, the younger sister of Beyonce, hitting and kicking her brother-in-law.

The trio had previously not spoken publicly about the incident in an elevator at the Standard Hotel in New York City following the Met Gala held on May 5. But on Thursday, they broke their silence.

The family referred CNN to a statement they previously gave to the Associated Press. The statement says:

Jay and Solange each assume their share of responsibility for what has occurred.

Statement given by the trio

"As a result of the public release of the elevator security footage from Monday, May 5th, there has been a great deal of speculation about what triggered the unfortunate incident. But the most important thing is that our family has worked through it. Jay and Solange each assume their share of responsibility for what has occurred.

"They both acknowledge their role in this private matter that has played out in the public. They both have apologized to each other and we have moved forward as a united family.

"The reports of Solange being intoxicated or displaying erratic behavior throughout that evening are simply false. At the end of the day, families have problems and we're no different. We love each other and above all we are family. We've put this behind us and hope everyone else will do the same."

Following the incident, the sisters were photographed leaving together while Jay Z left in a separate car.

Husband was beheaded, found in lakefront home

• NEW: Investigators now believe a boat may have been used, the sheriff says


• NEW: Fishermen spotted body


• Shirley Dermond was reported missing; her husband was decapitated


• Couple's family shocked by news, pastor says

Atlanta (CNN) -- By any standard, the killings are grisly.

With the discovery of the body of an 87-year-old Georgia woman whose disappearance came to light after her husband's decapitated body was found in their waterfront home, authorities not only want to know who did it, but also why.

Shirley Dermond's body was found in Lake Oconee, south of Athens, Putnam County Sheriff Howard Sills told reporters Friday.

"We now, unfortunately, know that Shirley Dermond was murdered," Sills said.

Sills declined to discuss the condition of the body other than to say, "the head was not removed or anything like that."

Authorities were alerted Friday by two fishermen who spotted what they believed to be a body in the lake, some five or six miles from the couple's home.

The discovery adds an element to the investigation -- the possibility that a boat was a mode of transportation in the killing, Sills said.

"This jumps us about two jumps up on the checkerboard, shall we say," he said.

Dermond's family is in shock with the news of the discovery of her body, said the Rev. David Key of Lake Oconee Community Church.

"We haven't even had a funeral for Russell because their kids wanted to wait. Now that we know about Shirley, we will start planning the funeral services for both."

From the beginning, investigators treated Dermond's disappearance as an abduction. Her purse, cell phone and car were all at the couple's million-dollar waterfront home on Lake Oconee where her husband's headless body was found.

Investigators believe she was taken from her home after her husband, 88-year-old Russell Dermond, was decapitated sometime between May 2 and May 4.

Investigators continue to search for his head, and they plan to look in the same area of the lake where Dermond's body was found, Sill said.

"Obviously, the head of Mr. Dermond will be quiet difficult to locate."

Russell Dermond's body was discovered in the couple's garage after friends, who hadn't heard from the couple in days, went to their home.

The FBI put up more than 100 billboards in its search for the missing woman, and it offered a reward of up to $20,000 for information to her location or the arrest of the person responsible for her disappearance.

"The mindset of the individual that did this was a homicidal individual that doesn't deserve to breathe the air on this Earth," Sills said.

In the days after Dermond's disappearance, authorities searched Lake Oconee in the vicinity of the couple's home -- turning up only a lawn chair and a Christmas tree -- and sent cadaver dogs into the nearby woods, to no avail. Authorities have also spoken to neighbors, family and friends.

So far, the investigation has turned up little to shed light on the crimes. Investigators aren't aware of any enemies the couple had made, or any reason someone would target them, Sills said.

CNN's Eliott C. McLaughlin and Catherine E. Shoichet contributed to this report

Rove's attack on Hillary was shrewd

Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, pictured in October 2012, has become one of the most powerful people in Washington. Here's a look at her life and career through the years:

Before she married Bill Clinton, she was Hillary Rodham. Here, Rodham talks about student protests in 1969, which she supported in her commencement speech at Wellesley College in Wellesley, Massachusetts.

Rodham, center, a lawyer for the Rodino Committee, and John Doar, left, chief counsel for the committee, bring impeachment charges against President Richard Nixon in the Judiciary Committee hearing room at the U.S. Capitol in 1974.

Arkansas Gov. Bill Clinton helps first lady Rosalynn Carter on a campaign swing through Arkansas in June 1979. Also seen in the photo is Hillary Clinton, center background.

Bill Clinton embraces his wife shortly after a stage light fell near her on January 26, 1992. They talk to Don Hewitt, producer of the CBS show "60 Minutes."

With Hillary, Democratic presidential candidate Bill Clinton waves to the crowd at his victory party after winning the Illinois primary on March 17, 1992.

Al Gore, Tipper Gore, Bill Clinton and Hillary Clinton wave to supporters at the Chautauqua Institution in Chautauqua, New York, after they gave speeches on family values on August 23, 1992.

Clinton gestures at a campaign rally November 3, 1992, in Denver. After taking office, President Bill Clinton chose his wife to head a special commission on health care reform, the most significant public policy initiative of his first year in office.

Bill and Hillary Clinton have a laugh together on Capitol Hill in 1993.

Clinton pours herself a cup of tea in 1993 while testifying to the Senate Education and Labor Committee about health care reform.

Clinton speaks at George Washington University on September 10, 1993, in Washington, during her husband's first term.

Clinton waves to the media on January 26, 1996, as she arrives at federal court in Washington for an appearance before a grand jury. The first lady was subpoenaed to testify as a witness in the investigation of the Whitewater land deal in Arkansas.

Hillary Clinton looks on as President Bill Clinton addresses the Monica Lewinsky scandal in the Roosevelt Room of the White House on January 26, 1998.

Hillary and Bill Clinton arrive at Foundry United Methodist Church on August 16, 1998, in Washington. He became the first sitting president to testify before a grand jury when he testified via satellite about the Lewinsky matter.

Clinton shakes hands during a St. Patrick's Day parade in the Sunnyside neighborhood of Queens, New York, on March 5, 2000.

Clinton waves to the crowd as she arrives on the stage at the Democratic National Convention on August 14, 2000, in Los Angeles.

Clinton campaigns for a Senate seat October 25, 2000, at Grand Central Station in New York.

Hillary Clinton is sworn in as a senator of New York in a re-enactment ceremony with, from left, President Bill Clinton, nephew Tyler, daughter Chelsea, brother Hugh Rodham, mother Dorothy Rodham and Vice President Al Gore on January 3, 2001, in Washington.

Andrew Cuomo, Eliot Spitzer and Clinton celebrate with a crowd of Democratic supporters after their wins in various races November 7, 2006, in New York.

Clinton speaks during a post-primary rally on January 8, 2007, at Southern New Hampshire University in Manchester, New Hampshire.

The Clintons pay a visit to the 92nd annual Hopkinton State Fair in Contoocook, New Hampshire, on September 2, 2007.

Clinton speaks at a campaign rally September 2, 2007, in Portsmouth, New Hampshire. She was running for the Democratic presidential nomination.

Clinton addresses a question during a debate with other Democratic presidential candidate at Dartmouth College in Hanover, New Hampshire, on September 26, 2007. Also pictured are U.S. Rep. Dennis Kucinich of Ohio, left, and former U.S. Sen. Mike Gravel of Alaska.

Felipe Bravo, left, and Christian Caraballo are covered with Hillary Clinton stickers in downtown Manchester, New Hampshire, on January 8, 2008.

Clinton campaigns in Council Bluffs, Iowa, with her daughter, Chelsea, on January 1, 2008, two days ahead of the January 3 state caucus.

Clinton waves as she speaks to supporters at the National Building Museum on June 7, 2008, in Washington. After pulling out of the presidential race, Clinton thanked her supporters and urged them to back Barack Obama to be the next president of the United States.

Obama and Clinton talk on the plane on their way to a Unity Rally in Unity, New Hampshire, on June 27, 2008.

Obama watches Clinton address the Democratic National Convention on August 26, 2008. The two endured a long, heated contest for the 2008 nomination.

Sen. Charles Schumer, left, looks toward Secretary of State designate Clinton as Senate Foreign Relations Committee chairman Sen. John Kerry, center, looks on during nomination hearings January 13, 2009, on Capitol Hill.

Clinton testifies during her confirmation hearing for secretary of state on January 13, 2009, in Washington.

Clinton, as secretary of state, dances with a local choir while visiting the Victoria Mxenge Housing Project in Philippi, a township on the outskirts of Cape Town, South Africa, on August 8, 2009.

Clinton looks through binoculars toward North Korea during a visit to an observation post July 21, 2010, at the demilitarized zone separating the two Koreas.

Clinton walks up the steps to her aircraft as she leaves a meeting of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations on July 23, 2010, in Hanoi, Vietnam.

Hillary and Bill Clinton pose on the day of their daughter's wedding to Marc Mezvinsky on July 31, 2010, in Rhinebeck, New York.

U.S. President Barack Obama and Clinton observe a moment of silence before a NATO meeting November 19, 2010, in Lisbon, Portugal.

Clinton listens as Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu makes a brief statement November 29, 2010, before a bilateral meeting at the State Department in Washington.

Clinton shakes hands with a child during an unannounced walk through Tahrir Square in Cairo on March 16, 2011.

Obama, Vice President Joe Biden, Clinton and members of Obama's national security team receive an update on the Osama bin Laden mission May 1, 2011, in the Situation Room of the White House.

Clinton checks her personal digital assistant prior to departing Malta on October 18, 2011.

Clinton speaks as Afghanistan President Hamid Karzai listens during a news conference at the presidential palace in Kabul, Afghanistan, on July 7, 2012.

Clinton arrives at Ben Gurion International Airport in Israel on July 15, 2012.

Clinton looks on as Obama makes a statement in response to the attack at the U.S. Consulate in Libya on September 12, 2012.

Clinton applauds Myanmar opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi during a ceremony where Suu Kyi was presented with the Congressional Gold Medal on September 19, 2012.

Bill Clinton kisses his wife after introducing her at the Clinton Global Initiative annual meeting on September 24, 2012, in New York City.

Clinton shakes hands with Libyan President Mohamed Magariaf on September 24, 2012, in New York.

Clinton stands during a news conference following meetings at the prime minister's office in Pristina, Kosovo, on October 31, 2012. Clinton said that Kosovo's unilaterally declared independence, fiercely opposed by Serbia, was "not up for discussion."

Clinton chats with Suu Kyi before Obama speaks at the University of Yangon in Yangon, Myanmar, on November 19, 2012.

Obama looks at Clinton before the start of a bilateral meeting with Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda, far right, during the East Asian Summit in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, on November 20, 2012.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu shakes hands with Clinton at the prime minister's office November 20, 2012, in Jerusalem.

Clinton arrives December 4, 2012, for a NATO meeting to discuss Syria and Turkey's request for Patriot missiles to be deployed protectively on the Turkish-Syrian border.

Clinton receives a sports jersey and football helmet from Deputy Secretary Tom Nides, center, after returning to work on January 7, 2013, following a fall where she hit her head and doctors later detected a blood clot. The number 112 represented the number of countries that she had visited as secretary of state.

Clinton and her husband arrive for the inauguration for Obama's second term on January 21, 2013.

Clinton testifies before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee on Capitol Hill on January 23, 2013. Lawmakers questioned Clinton about the security failures during the Benghazi, Libya, attacks that led to the death of four Americans, including U.S. Ambassador Christopher Stevens.

From left, first lady Michelle Obama stands with former first ladies Laura Bush, Clinton, Barbara Bush and Rosalynn Carter at the opening ceremony of the George W. Bush Presidential Center in Dallas on April 25, 2013.

Bill and Hillary Clinton speak to guests at the Clinton Global Initiative on June 14, 2013, in Chicago.

Clinton poses for pictures at St. Andrews University in St. Andrews, Scotland, on September 13, 2013. Clinton received an honorary degree from the university.

From left, Clinton, former first lady Laura Bush and former Presidents Bill Clinton and George W. Bush listen to speakers during the memorial service for Nelson Mandela in Soweto, South Africa, on December 10, 2013.

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

11

12

13

14

15

16

17

18

19

20

21

22

23

24

25

26

27

28

29

30

31

32

33

34

35

36

37

38

39

40

41

42

43

44

45

46

47

48

49

50

51

52

53

54

55

56

57

• Alex Castellanos looks at Karl Rove's assault on Hillary Clinton's health and age


• He says his language probably was reckless, but could succeed as part of a larger strategy


• But, he argues, it also continues to damage the Republican brand

Editor's note: Alex Castellanos, a Republican strategist, is the founder of Purple Strategies and NewRepublican.org. You can follow him on Twitter @alexcast. The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of the author.

(CNN) -- Was Karl Rove's assault on Hillary Clinton's brain a political masterstroke that will make her presidential campaign more difficult? Or a ham-fisted attack that will contribute to the persistent unpopularity of the Republican Party?

The answer, to many a Republican's regret, is both. Whatever victory Republicans digest from this blow will leave a bitter taste.

Hillary Clinton hasn't yet been president, though it feels like she is running for reelection. That is part of Mrs. Clinton's problem. The constant division her name invites has been with us now for decades. Who wants to continue those battles? Like Vietnam or Watergate, at times it doesn't matter which side of the Clinton conflict we take. We are exhausted by the relentless requirement that we engage them.

Age and health are always issues in major political races, and fairly so, but they are usually aired gracelessly. I served my apprenticeship in politics working for mad-genius GOP pollster and strategist Arthur Finkelstein.

While he was mapping the campaign for brassy, upstart Al D'Amato, Arthur came up with a unique strategy to do what was thought impossible: defeat in a primary an untouchable Republican icon -- legendary New York Sen. Jacob Javits.

Javits, a liberal Republican, was out of step with Barry Goldwater's GOP but Republican voters had too much respect for the old senator to replace him. A near octogenarian, Javits had slowed a step and was beginning to slur his speech, presenting the initial symptoms of ALS, which would fell him within the decade.

Finkelstein's strategy? Give conservative GOP primary voters permission to say publicly what only a few whispered privately -- and Arthur was none too subtle. Finkelstein released an attack ad that wrinkled the noses of New York's political elite. Its purpose being impropriety, it ended with the memorable line, "And now, at age 76 and in failing health, he wants six more years." New York's left-leaning upper-crust gasped, but Finkelstein didn't stop there.

The inspired part of the strategy was the second step: Arthur had planned for the D'Amato campaign to fire him for the negative assault. That would not only distance D'Amato from the attack and leave his candidate wearing a white hat, it would also generate another delicious round of news coverage. The "fire-Finkelstein" debate kept the story alive for the remaining days before the election. Sometimes, in politics as in chess, a knight sacrifices himself to take the queen. Javits' career came to its end.

Karl Rove is not on the ballot in 2016. At least in the short term, in any brutal exchange between a brass-knuckled political operative and Hillary Clinton, guess who wins and who loses?

Clinton has already lost once, running as the candidate of experience against a younger candidate of hope and change. Political tides often wash in as high as -- if not higher than -- they have before. It could all happen to Hillary again.

My experience is that once America moves forward a generation, it seldom moves backward. It's not Hillary's age that is the issue, but how young or old she would make the country. Rove has opened the door to Clinton's real weakness: Her lack of vision is more of an issue than her years.

Clinton defends Hillary against Rove

Are Karl Rove's attacks hurting the GOP?

Are Karl Rove's attacks hurting the GOP?

That other ClintonBill Clinton had no such debility. He was always the candidate of the future. His song was "Don't Stop Thinking about Tomorrow." His pledge, repeated nearly two dozen times in his acceptance speech at the 1996 Democratic convention, in his campaign against World War II's Bob Dole, was to build "The Bridge to the 21st Century." President Clinton was inspired to enter politics, he admits, as a 16-year-old on a visit to Washington, in a moment captured by cameras, when he shook hands with the New Frontier's President John F. Kennedy, whom he then emulated.

Ronald Reagan was attacked for his age and mental acuity. America learned he was an optimist with a glorious sense of humor and a vision of them that lit the world as a "Shining City on a Hill," so they found him forever young, regardless of his maturity and experience.

Kennedy, Clinton and Reagan were young because they kept us young. Unlike those predecessors, however, Hillary Clinton isn't known for her optimism or inspiring vision.

She is a pragmatist, not a futurist. America has known her for a long time. Even after 20 years, a stay in the White House, a career in the Senate and a tour as secretary of state, we do not know what stars she would follow.

It is not unreasonable to ask where a candidate would go before we trust her to lead us there. It's hard to imagine that only now, after decades in the public eye, Hillary Clinton would suddenly discover her destination.

Unfinished businessHillary has only one attribute that makes her politically youthful and connects her to our future. It is, however, a powerful one: America has yet to have a female president. The power of that incomplete task should not be understated.

In making the decision to nominate and elect our first black president, America rightly believes it acted as a good and noble nation. It advanced the defining belief that we are a country offering equal opportunity to everyone.

In making that choice, however, America also made another decision: Not to elect our first female president. Women were left at the back of the bus. As I travel the country these days and speak to audiences of varied political persuasions, I am often struck by the quiet but growing movement of women, especially younger women, Democrat and Republican, who believe their time has come. Much of Hillary's support says, "It is our turn."

Is that enough to keep Clinton "forever young", like Reagan? Not completely. Reagan's eternal youth, like Kennedy's, was actually the understanding that he would keep our country "forever young". Without similar vision and optimism, Hillary's crusade remains only a quest for personal achievement. To that purpose, Karl Rove has opened a wound that will bleed and hurt Clinton. Unfortunately, it will also hurt the Republican Party Rove aims to help.

Gingrich: Karl Rove was totally wrong.

Rove responds to Clinton comment backlash

Rove: Clinton 'brain damage'?

GOP has its own problemsRight now the GOP is a cause few are proud to join. We are a dark and purposeless confederation, known for primarily for saying "no" and telling people, not what they can be, but what they should not do. We seem to employ our principles only with only the darkest and most defensive intentions.

This assault on Hillary Clinton will only aggravate that perception of the GOP, and the moment couldn't be worse.

Many young voters have had their hearts broken by President Barack Obama. In return for the dreams, hopes and votes they invested in him, Obama has rewarded them with huge student debt, no jobs, declining prospects, and an intergenerational transfer of wealth from their empty pockets to their gluttonous elders. Those young voters are available to Republicans who would lift their eyes over the horizon and lead them to something better. They are not eager to stand beside Rove holding a bloody ax.

Please don't think me apologetic. I love negative political campaigns and have run more than a few of them. I believe Republicans have an obligation to disqualify a failed, industrial-age political philosophy that is leading our nation to decline. We have responsibility to warn voters about hot stoves and shout an alert not to touch them.

Yet, our ultimate obligation is to cook something and feed a population hungry for leadership. It remains our mission to inspire and take an ever-hopeful people from a great nation to an even better one.

Ultimately, this is a collective failure, belonging to all but a few Republicans. GOP leaders and sages rarely make an effective case that their principles offer the only possible path to a future of promise, progress and prosperity.

When we don't lift those principles before voters, when we don't step up and lead, we are defined only by tactical wedge issues that divide and not big principles that inspire, unite, and attract the next generation.

In this battle, we have dug our hole a little deeper and exposed the GOP's lack of leadership. It is a big price to pay for a party in need of optimism and vision. It is also a steep cost to a country in need of renewal, confidence, and big dreams.

Follow us on Twitter @CNNOpinion.

Join us on http://ift.tt/1bl3g0P.