James Carville Says Quiet Part Out Loud About the Democratic Party

Veteran Democratic strategist James Carville said the Democratic Party is shifting its focus away from identity politics following the unsuccessful presidential campaigns of Hillary Clinton and Kamala Harris.

Speaking on the Politics War Room podcast on Thursday, Carville responded to a listener’s question about the influence of identity and the notion of political “turns” in choosing presidential nominees.

“No one gives a s–t anymore in a Democratic Party what gender you are, what race you are, what ethnicity you are. They just want to win…we’re not here to make history,” Carville said during the podcast.

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“We’re here to make a win and whatever we have to do to win this **king election, we’re going to do that. And I think that any time that the Democratic Party has any other motive other than victory, it screws us up,” he added.

. @JamesCarville is a man who literally makes me physically ill.

He, like all the Democrats, don’t actually care about America or Americans, all they care about is winning at any cost. They don’t care if they have to lie, cheat or steal to make it happen.

They don’t have a… pic.twitter.com/jyT1eRIAiW

— C-Reason🇺🇸 (@CreasonJana) April 11, 2025

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Carville, who rose to prominence as a key strategist for former President Bill Clinton’s 1992 campaign, made the comments in response to a question read by co-host Al Hunt.

The listener had asked, “How do we destroy the notion that it is someone’s ‘turn’ to be the nominee – Hillary, Kamala – rather than the Democrat with the best chance of winning?”

Carville referenced the 2016 Democratic primary, suggesting that President Joe Biden’s decision not to run that year was influenced by a belief that it was Hillary Clinton’s “turn” following President Barack Obama’s tenure.

“Remember, that’s a big, big hangover in Biden world that Obama decided that it was Hillary’s turn, not Biden’s turn, so he couldn’t run [in 2016]. Let me tell you what the ‘turn’ is. The turn is to win,” Carville said.

Carville clarified that he is not opposed to a female nominee, but he emphasized that winning must be the party’s only priority going forward.

He said that any Democratic candidate—regardless of gender—must be chosen based on electability, not symbolic value.

“If it’s a woman candidate that has the best chance to win, for God’s sake, let’s rally behind this candidate. If it’s male, let us rally behind that. Whatever it is, the most important criteria is to win the f**king election. Nothing else counts,” he said.

“Winning is everything, stupid.”

🚨NEW: James Carville says Dems are DONE picking candidates based on identity🚨

“No one gives a sh*t anymore in the Democratic Party what gender you are, what race you are, what ethnicity you are. They just want to win … We’re not here to make history.”@DailyCaller pic.twitter.com/z7Nx3sHraj

— Jason Cohen 🇺🇸 (@JasonJournoDC) April 10, 2025

The remarks from the longtime Democratic strategist come as the party looks ahead to the 2028 election cycle and reflects on past campaigns.

Hillary Clinton lost to Donald Trump in 2016, despite strong institutional backing and historic first-woman-president messaging.

Vice President Kamala Harris ended her 2020 primary campaign before voting began and has consistently polled low throughout her time in office.

Carville’s comments are likely to stir debate within the Democratic Party, which has for years emphasized diversity and representation as central to its platform.

His blunt remarks reflect a growing concern among some party strategists that identity-focused messaging has not translated into electoral victories in recent presidential contests.

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