Veteran Democratic strategist James Carville is warning his party that a growing wave of far-left candidates could put Democrats on a path toward repeating the political mistakes he believes contributed to President Donald Trump’s 2016 election victory.
Speaking in a video released Friday by Politicon, Carville sharply criticized what he described as “insurgent” Democrats and Democratic socialists who have recently defeated longtime Democratic incumbents in primary contests. He argued that rather than focusing their efforts on defeating Republicans, these candidates are directing their energy toward battling fellow Democrats, a strategy he believes could have serious consequences for the party.
Carville pointed to several recent election results as evidence of the trend. In New York, Brad Lander defeated Rep. Dan Goldman (D-NY), while Democratic socialist Darializa Avila Chevalier unseated Rep. Adriano Espaillat (D-NY). In Colorado, Democratic socialist Melat Kiros defeated Rep. Diana DeGette (D-CO).
According to Carville, the rise of these candidates reflects a broader movement within the Democratic Party that risks dividing its coalition. He singled out Michigan candidate Abdul El-Sayed as an example, arguing that some far-left contenders appear to be running against both Democrats and Republicans rather than concentrating on defeating GOP opponents.
Drawing a comparison to the 2016 presidential election, Carville described Trump’s first victory as “the most catastrophic event of this century.” He placed the blame squarely on Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT), whom he labeled an “insurgent” liberal.
Sanders sought the Democratic presidential nomination in 2016 before ending his campaign and endorsing Hillary Clinton in July of that year. Carville argued, however, that the lengthy and contentious primary battle had already inflicted lasting political damage.
According to Carville, Sanders remained in the race long enough to alienate working voters in key battleground states, including Pennsylvania, making it more difficult for Clinton and the Democratic Party to unify ahead of the general election.
He warned that today’s crop of progressive challengers risks repeating those same mistakes by fueling internal divisions instead of directing their attention toward Republican candidates.
Carville also rejected arguments from some liberals who contend there is little meaningful distinction between establishment Democrats and establishment Republicans. He responded with a blunt rebuke, saying, “These people are so f*cking stupid I don’t know what to say about it.”
He continued by questioning the priorities of what he called insurgent Democrats.
“Is their solution to beat Republicans, to run against Republicans? No! Their solution is to beat Democrats like they’re part of the problem. You are part of the problem because you’re a f*cking idiot!” Carville said.
Closing his remarks, Carville urged Democrats not to “fall for the allure of false prophets.” He argued that some candidates on the far left are more interested in portraying themselves as morally or politically superior to both major parties than in building a winning coalition.
Carville insisted the two parties have produced significantly different results while in power, pointing to issues including health insurance, balancing the federal budget, economic prosperity, and the Iran nuclear agreement as examples of why he believes Democrats and Republicans should not be treated as equivalent.
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