Latest news with #Carville
New York Post
2 days ago
- Politics
- New York Post
James Carville rips Dems as a ‘cracked-out clown car' while warning of a ‘civilized civil war'
Democratic strategist James Carville ripped Democrats for their lack of unity and warned that the party is 'steamrolling toward a civilized civil war' in a new essay. 'Constipated. Leaderless. Confused. A cracked-out clown car. Divided,' Carville wrote in a Monday guest essay published in The New York Times. 'These are the words I hear my fellow Democrats using to describe our party as of late. The truth is they're not wrong: The Democratic Party is in shambles.' Carville said that New York City mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani's win in the city's primary 'represents an undeniable fissure in our political soul.' He pointed to Mamdani's economic policies, which include government-run grocery stores and plans to tax the top 1% of New Yorkers, admitting that he is concerned that they will actually be able to be executed. 3 'Constipated. Leaderless. Confused. A cracked-out clown car. Divided,' Carville wrote in a guest essay published in The New York Times. Getty Images 'We are divided along generational lines: Candidates like Mr. Mamdani are impatient for an economic future that folks my age are skeptical can actually be delivered,' Carville said. 'We are divided along ideological lines,' he added. 'A party that is historically allegiant to the state of Israel is at odds with a growing faction that will not look past the abuses in Palestine. From Medicare for All purists to Affordable Care Act reformists, the list goes on and on.' 3 Carville said that Zohran Mamdani's win in the city's primary 'represents an undeniable fissure in our political soul.' Paul Martinka for NY Post He said that Democrats must 'demand' a repeal of President Donald Trump's cuts to Medicaid in the 47th president's 'big, beautiful bill.' The legislation requires able-bodied adults without children to work 80 hours a month, amounting to 20 hours each week, in order to receive Medicaid benefits. 3 'We are divided along generational lines: Candidates like Mr. Mamdani are impatient for an economic future that folks my age are skeptical can actually be delivered,' Carville said. Stephen Yang He also said that Democrats must 'demand a repeal to end the endless wars, because the bill boosts military spending to $1 trillion for the very first time,' as well as help students who are losing loan protections and may no longer be eligible for Pell Grants. Democrats must also 'demand a repeal' of the cuts to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), Carville said. 'We've never had a simpler, more unifying oppositional message,' Carville said. 'Soon it will no longer be possible to avoid a brawl between the factions ignited back in the 2016 Democratic presidential primary. But for now, whether you're the progressive Mr. Mamdani, the centrist former Rep. Abigail Spanberger running for the Virginia governorship or even Elon Musk, we can all agree on one thing: We demand a repeal. Onward to the midterms.'
Newsweek
2 days ago
- Politics
- Newsweek
Democrats Steamrolling Toward 'Civilized Civil War,' James Carville Warns
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. James Carville, veteran Democratic strategist, warned that the party is "steamrolling toward a civilized civil war," saying that it is also necessary on the heels of the 2024 election loss. Newsweek reached out to the Democratic National Committee (DNC) via email Monday for comment. Why It Matters Carville, in an op-ed in The New York Times on Monday, referencing internal divisions and the aftermath of President Donald Trump's election win, echoed criticisms he said were common among fellow Democrats, saying the party is "constipated, leaderless, confused, and divided." Carville's comments followed a string of defeats for Democrats in the 2024 election cycle, with the party's struggles for a clear message and effective leadership intensifying as the 2026 midterm elections approach. With the party still seeking a direction and a leader capable of rallying its broad coalition, Carville's warnings hold particular resonance as Democrats prepare for upcoming electoral battles. What To Know In the op-ed, Carville said, "The Democratic Party is steamrolling toward a civilized civil war. It's necessary to have it. It's even more necessary to delay it." Carville noted a fissure within the party along both generational and ideological lines and highlighted Zohran Mamdani's win in the New York City Democratic primary as an example. "Candidates like Mr. Mamdani are impatient for an economic future that folks my age are skeptical can be delivered," Carville said. The strategist said that a leader will emerge the day after the 2026 midterm elections, adding, "No new party or candidate has a chance for a breakthrough until that day." As Democrats and Republicans alike ramp up midterm efforts, Carville suggests the Democratic Party run on the phrase "We demand a repeal." Carville said the phrase can be used to emphasize the Democrats' desire to repeal President Trump's spending law, a repeal to protest Medicaid, a repeal to save the deficit, and a repeal "to end the endless wars." "We've never had a simpler, more unifying oppositional message," Carville concluded. "Soon it will no longer be possible to avoid a brawl between the factions ignited back in the 2016 Democratic presidential primaries. But for now, whether you're the progressive Mr. Mamdani, the centrist former Representative Abigail Spanberger running for the Virginia governorship or even Elon Musk, we can all agree on one thing: We demand a repeal. Onward to the midterms." According to recent polling, potential contenders for the Democratic 2028 presidential primary ticket include former Vice President Kamala Harris, former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, California Governor Gavin Newsom, Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro and New York Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. James Carville can be seen posing for a portrait at the 27th SCAD Savannah Film Festival on October 31, 2024, in Savannah, Georgia. (Photo byfor SCAD) James Carville can be seen posing for a portrait at the 27th SCAD Savannah Film Festival on October 31, 2024, in Savannah, Georgia. (Photo byfor SCAD) What People Are Saying Former George W. Bush adviser Scott Jennings on X in June: "Dems have blown their credibility with the working class on illegal immigration, insane cultural issues, and identity politics. And now they expect people to believe their attacks on Trump's economic policies?" Carville, in part, in the op-ed: "Our midterm march starts with a simple phrase every candidate can blast on every screen and stage: We demand a repeal. A repeal of Mr. Trump's spending law is the one word that should define the midterms. It is clear, forceful and full-throated. It must be slathered across every poster, every ad, every social media post from now until November 2026. That single word is our core message. Every Democrat can run on it, with outrage directed not at the president or a person but at this disastrous bill. And the reasons are countless, each one a venom-tipped political dagger." Brendan Buck, MSNBC political analyst, on X on Monday: "Oh dear. A midterm pledge to repeal a major law you have almost no chance of repealing. What could possibly go wrong..." What Happens Next Democrats and Republicans are expected to ramp up campaigning ahead of the 2026 midterms.
The Hill
2 days ago
- Politics
- The Hill
Carville: Democratic Party ‘a cracked-out clown car'
Democratic strategist James Carville said in a new opinion piece for The New York Times that the current Democratic Party is 'a cracked-out clown car.' 'Constipated. Leaderless. Confused. A cracked-out clown car. Divided. These are the words I hear my fellow Democrats using to describe our party as of late. The truth is they're not wrong: The Democratic Party is in shambles,' Carville said in the Times piece released Monday. Carville pointed to the recent clinching of the Democratic nomination for New York City mayor by Zohran Mamdani, which shocked many political observers, saying it 'wasn't an isolated event.' 'It represents an undeniable fissure in our political soul. We are divided along generational lines: Candidates like Mr. Mamdani are impatient for an economic future that folks my age are skeptical can be delivered,' Carville added. 'We are divided along ideological lines: A party that is historically allegiant to the state of Israel is at odds with a growing faction that will not look past the abuses in Gaza and the West Bank,' he continued. 'From Medicare for All purists to Affordable Care Act reformists, the list goes on and on.' Democrats have struggled to recover from their losses in November's elections, and have gone through furious debates about how to move forward. Favorable views of the Democratic Party were at their lowest in three decades in a recent CNN poll, with Democrats garnering 28 percent favorability. In the same poll, 54 percent said they had an unfavorable view of the party. Party leaders like Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) have also faced heat for their actions from fellow Democrats amid President Trump's second term, and Schumer hasn't seemed to please the public recently, with the New York senator sitting at 39.9 percent unfavorability in a Decision Desk HQ polling average
The Hill
15-07-2025
- Politics
- The Hill
Carville: ‘Big, beautiful bill' should be Democrats' ‘rallying cry,' Epstein a ‘distraction
Longtime Democratic strategist James Carville said Monday that President Trump's recently signed 'big beautiful bill' should be a rallying cry for Democrats while calling the controversy over disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein just a 'distraction.' 'I think the Democrats have just this wonderful opportunity [with] the 'big, beautiful bill.' People detest this. And the more that they find out about it, the more they detest it,' Carville said Monday night on CNN's 'AC360' alongside former Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel. 'So, we have a rallying cry here, and it's going to be up to the whole party to pick up the baton and run with this thing, but then they're stuck with this vote and they want people to forget about it.' 'Rahm's right. The Epstein thing is a distraction, but at the end of the day, I think people are going to vote on this. And express their utter anger and disgust at this bill,' he told host Anderson Cooper. 'This thing is the most unpopular piece of legislation that has ever passed the United States Congress in the history of polling. That's how unpopular it is.' Carville, who was critical of the GOP's massive spending and tax bill as it was moving through Congress, previously argued that the measure's passage would be seen as a 'mass extinction event' and would help the Democrats take the House in the 2026 midterms. 'And I like with the unified party — every Democrat voted against this. Every Democrat, regardless of the ideology, their ethnicity … we can all rally around this, and we can run on this single issue all the way to 2026,' Carville said earlier this month, while supporting estimates that Democrats could pick up 40 or more seats in the lower chamber. The 'big, beautiful bill,' signed by Trump on July 4, is full of his domestic priorities, including money allocated for hiring more border patrol agents and finishing the border wall. The law also extends Trump's 2017 tax cuts and features sweeping cuts to Medicaid and some food assistance programs. Carville's latest advice comes as House Democrats, Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.), said in recent days that the Trump administration should release all of the documents related to the Epstein case. Some Democrats have also moved to introduce resolutions that would force the administration to do so. 'The American people deserve to know the truth,' Jeffries told reporters on Monday. 'What, if anything, is the Trump administration and the Department of Justice hiding?' Many within the MAGA base have also aired frustration with the administration after the DOJ and FBI released a memo earlier this month concluding there is no evidence that Epstein had a 'client list' and confirming that he died by suicide in 2019. Attorney General Pam Bondi has in particular faced strong backlash from Trump supporters over her previous interviews where she pledged transparency around the case. She also said in February that the so-called 'client list' was sitting on her desk for review — remarks she walked back this month. Trump has defended the attorney general, writing on Saturday that Bondi is doing a 'FANTASTIC JOB' and urging the voter base 'not waste Time and Energy on Jeffrey Epstein, somebody that nobody cares about.'
New York Post
10-07-2025
- Politics
- New York Post
James Carville blasts Democrats for continuing to alienate men with ‘future is female' talk: ‘Lecture people too much'
Veteran Democratic strategist James Carville scolded Democrats and liberals for lecturing men about their lifestyle choices and using rhetoric like 'the future is female.' Carville has frequently called out the Democratic Party for its use of identity politics, warning that it has damaged the brand like a foul odor clinging to a shirt. On Tuesday, he was asked by 'The People's Cabinet' podcast host Daniel Koh whether the Democratic Party has a problem communicating with young men. 'They do,' Carville replied, suggesting that one can just listen to NPR for a few minutes, multiple times a day, to hear the kind of rhetoric that has alienated men. 'They were told, 'The future is female, you must always believe the woman is never wrong, #MeToo,'' Carville said. 'And men are like, 'S—, do I count? What about my life? I mean, we're only 48% of the voting population.'' He then called out the language he has heard from his fellow Democrats about elections. Political commentator James Carville ahead of the Democratic National Convention (DNC) at the United Center in Chicago, Illinois, US, on Sunday, Aug. 18, 2024. Bloomberg via Getty Images 'Every time you would see an election, 'It's all coming down to suburban women,'' he said, lamenting rhetoric about an 'uprising' and 'women-of-color.' The 'Ragin' Cajun' then offered a hypothetical about the male, working-class experience. 'You go home, you want a cold beer, you want a hamburger, and you want to watch the football game,' Carville said. 'No, no!' he added, mocking Democratic rhetoric. 'You can't do that! Not football. No. No. Hamburgers? How many calories does that have? Do you know what that does to you? Beer? No. You should be drinking a nice fruit spritzer or something.' James Carville poses for a portrait at the 27th SCAD Savannah Film Festival on October 31, 2024 in Savannah, Georgia. Getty Images 'And I'm like, 'Oh, get off of my back!' Right?' Carville said. 'And then, 'If you have sex, you must wear a condom!'' 'I mean, we just never communicated with them,' he said, lamenting that the alienation of men could be fixed by 'just talking like people.' While Carville acknowledged there are demographic shifts in the country, he warned that some members of society are being ignored. 'There are no television shows about these people anymore. They've been erased from the culture. We've just erased them,' he said of American men who feel ignored by the modern Democratic Party. ''You don't exist, no one sees you, no one cares about you, you've had it made all your life.' And a lot of these people say, 'I got it made? What are you talking about?'' 'We just lecture people too much,' Carville argued, adding the same alienated men have suffered stagnating wages and loss of status.
