James Carville, a longtime Democratic strategist, has never been afraid to speak his mind. This was evident in a recent interview when he criticized his party’s spending on unwinnable Senate races. Vox spoke with Carville about Democrats raising huge amounts of money to support media darlings like Amy McGrath (Kentucky) and Jaime Harrison (South Carolina), only to have them both lose in the red states by double-digits.
“They were always going lose those races, but Democrats continue to do this stupid s —,” Carville stated. “They are too emotional. Democrats are obsessed with high-profile races that they won’t win because that’s where the attention is. We are addicted to hopeless causes.
“What about the secretary-general in Wisconsin?” Or in Michigan, the attorney general race. What amount of money are Democrats and Progressives sending to these candidates across the country? If Democrats are concerned about election integrity and voting rights, these are the races they should support. This is because it is where the action is, and where things will be decided.
Carville urged Democrats to focus on winning races and keep their eyes on the ball. He also defended Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.), the moderate Democrat who has been a thorn for progressives on issues such as the filibuster or the Build Back Better social program package. Carville stated that it was futile for liberals not to gloat about him or suggest that he could be replaced with a more reliable Democrat.
“B —-ing in West Virginia about a Democratic Senator is missing the damn plot,” said he, noting that West Virginia was one of the reddest states in the country during recent presidential elections.
Carville stated that he would do all he could to help Manchin win in 2024 if he were to run again.
“Six percent” of Americans identify themselves as progressive. Only 11 to 12% of Democrats identify themselves as progressive. Let’s just agree to disagree with progressive leftists, he suggested. This isn’t a g—amn discussion anymore. Manchin, like many others, is closer to mainstream opinion than most people believe. Pretending otherwise won’t help the cause.
Kyrsten Sinema (D-Ariz.), a moderate Democrat, was less friendly than Manchin. She has been a troubled liberal and brought on cries of a primary challenge. Sinema, like Manchin, has supported the filibuster which creates a threshold of 60 votes to advance legislation for a ballot.
Carville stated that she has never met Carville and doesn’t know what Carville is thinking. “I spoke to people who knew her, and the only theory that they had that made sense was that she sees herself as a McCain-esque maverick. This one is a tough one. “I am truly.”
