Veteran Democratic strategist James Carville has now reportedly expressed a strong shift in the Democratic Party’s approach to presidential nominations during a recent episode of the “Politics War Room” podcast.
Carville emphasized that the party is moving away from identity politics—candidates chosen based on their race, gender, or past symbolic significance—after two notable failures: Hillary Clinton’s campaign in 2016 and Kamala Harris’s brief run in 2024.
Carville firmly stated that the party’s primary focus should now be on electability, not historical milestones.
He made it clear that the best candidate to defeat the Republican nominee should be the priority, regardless of demographic factors. “We’re not here to make history… We’re here to win the f***ing election,” he asserted.
Addressing a listener’s question about the trend of nominating candidates based on perceived entitlements to the nomination, Carville lamented how this mindset has previously hampered the party.
He referred to past nominations as a “turn” system, insisting that the Democratic agenda must prioritize winning above all else.
He noted, “No one gives a s*** anymore in the Democratic Party what gender you are, what race you are, what ethnicity you are. They just want to win.”
In his comments, Carville also referenced the former President Barack Obama, suggesting that there was room for different candidates to emerge, rather than sticking with established figures like Harris.
He concluded with a blunt message: “Winning is everything, stupid,” urging the party to adopt a more pragmatic approach in future elections and rally behind the candidate best positioned to secure victory.
This shift reflects a deepening realization within the party that it must prioritize electoral success over other liberal considerations.
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