A MARGINAL MATTER

Top Dem Strategist Makes Shock Midterms Wish

The veteran politico’s eyebrow-raising stance wasn’t shared by others in his party.

Veteran Democratic strategist James Carville has revealed his surprising take on how he’d like the midterms to pan out.

Carville, 81, told The Bulwark’s Bill Kristol that he would rather see Republicans keep the House majority by five seats than have Democrats take it by the same margin.

“I would be disappointed if it comes in at 225 House seats,” the former Bill Clinton aide told Kristol on the Bulwark on Sunday podcast. “That would almost be—I would rather the Republicans keep the House by five than the Democrats to win by five because if that happens, they’re hostage to the DSA.”

Carville was referring to the Democratic Socialists of America, a progressive wing of the Democratic Party that has surged in popularity over the last year and includes populist leaders like New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani.

Carville said that only a slight majority would be difficult for Democratic House leaders, such as Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, to manage.

“Hakeem cannot move. There’s no place to go,” he said. “And even if you have a close Senate, Fetterman would keep Schumer Pepto-Bismol all night.”

“I think this one is one of these races where margin matters a lot,” the politico explained. “Winning big—it’s almost as big as winning, which is weird. But yeah, it’s a nightmare at 225.”

CNN’s Erin Burnett covered Carville’s remarks Monday night, asking former Fox News anchor Gretchen Carlson and former Kamala Harris aide Jamal Simmons their thoughts on his wish.

Carlson said she agreed with the veteran politico about the DSA being “problematic” for the Democratic Party, but disagreed that Democrats would want Republicans to keep the House.

Play Video

Simmons, on the other hand, said most people in the mainstream Democratic Party don’t share Carville’s hardline views on the DSA.

“While there are lots of issues people may disagree with on the DSA, what they do want is somebody who’s gonna rip up the old playbook and do things differently,” he said. “The American public is interested in doing something really different.”

Carville has made his disdain for the rising democratic socialist coalition clear over the past several months.

After a string of DSA primary victories, such as Chris Rabb in Pennsylvania and Melat Kiros in Colorado, the strategist has unleashed criticism on the progressive splinter group, calling them “a bunch of silly people” and “a pack of fools.”

“Nobody pays attention to them. They don’t do anything,” he told Fox News’s Jesse Watters in August.

In June, he targeted New York DSA candidate Darializa Avila Chevalier directly, saying he doesn’t “have anything in common with someone that says they’re against interracial dating or doesn’t want any incarceration for convicted felons.”

He elevated his rhetoric in August, demanding that DSA candidates quit using the Democratic Party’s “goddamn name.”

See more of our coverage in your search results.

ADD THE DAILY BEAST ON GOOGLE

Vic VerbalaitisNight Breaking News Reporter

Got a tip? Send it to The Daily Beast here.