James Carville facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
James Carville
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Carville in 2011
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| Personal details | |
| Born |
Chester James Carville Jr.
October 25, 1944 Fort Benning, Georgia, U.S. |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse |
Mary Matalin
(m. 1993) |
| Children | 2 |
| Residences | New Orleans, Louisiana, U.S. Bay St. Louis, Mississippi, U.S. |
| Education | Louisiana State University (BS, JD) |
| Nickname | Ragin' Cajun |
| Military service | |
| Branch/service | United States Marine Corps |
| Years of service | 1966–1968 |
| Rank | Corporal |
Chester James Carville Jr. (born October 25, 1944) is an American political consultant, author, and occasional actor. He helps politicians in the United States and other countries win elections. As a Democrat, he often shares his opinions on U.S. elections on TV shows and podcasts.
People call him the "Ragin' Cajun". Carville became well-known for his important work on Bill Clinton's successful 1992 presidential campaign. He is married to Mary Matalin, who is a political consultant for the Republican Party.
Contents
- Early Life and Education
- Helping Politicians Win Elections
- Bill Clinton's 1992 Presidential Campaign
- American Politics in the 1990s
- International Elections (1990s to 2010s)
- John Kerry's 2004 Presidential Campaign
- 2000s and 2010s Activities
- Hillary Clinton's 2008 Presidential Campaign
- Later Years (2010s and 2020s)
- Public Speaking
- Commercial Endorsements
- Personal Life
- Books
- Film and Television Appearances
- See also
Early Life and Education
James Carville was born on October 25, 1944, at a U.S. Army hospital in Fort Benning, Georgia. His father was serving in the military during World War II. James grew up in Carville, Louisiana. His mother, Lucille, was a former school teacher who spoke French at home. His father, Chester James Carville Sr., was a postmaster and owned a general store.
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The town of Carville, Louisiana, was named after his grandfather, Louis Arthur Carville, who was once the postmaster. The Carville family opened their general store there in 1882. James has seven brothers and sisters.
He went to Ascension Catholic High School and graduated in 1962. He then attended Louisiana State University (LSU) from 1962 to 1966.
Carville served in the United States Marine Corps for two years, from 1966 to 1968. He was stationed in California and reached the rank of corporal.
After his military service, Carville returned to LSU and finished his studies. He earned his Bachelor of Science degree in 1970 and his law degree in 1973. Before working in politics, he was a junior high school science teacher and an attorney.
Helping Politicians Win Elections
James Carville learned about political consulting from Gus Weill, who started one of the first advertising firms for political campaigns in Louisiana.
Early Work in Louisiana and Texas
In the late 1970s, Carville worked for a political consulting firm in Baton Rouge. In the early 1980s, he was an assistant to the mayor of East Baton Rouge Parish.
In 1984, Carville met his consulting partner Paul Begala while working on a campaign for Lloyd Doggett in Texas. Carville helped Doggett get the Democratic nomination. He used creative ways to show that Doggett's opponent changed his mind often.
Pennsylvania Governor's Race, 1986
Carville helped Bob Casey Sr. become the Governor of Pennsylvania in 1986. Casey's opponent, Bill Scranton, tried to run a positive campaign, but his team sent out a brochure that attacked Casey. Carville used this mistake to Casey's advantage. He even dumped 600,000 empty envelopes near Scranton's office to show that Scranton must have known about the mailing.
Carville also created a TV ad that helped Casey win. The ad showed Scranton in a way that made him seem out of touch to some voters. Casey won the election by a small number of votes.
Kentucky Governor's Race, 1987
In 1987, Carville managed the campaign for Kentucky businessman Wallace Wilkinson. Wilkinson presented himself as a self-made millionaire who was against the political establishment. He promised to create a state lottery to raise money without increasing taxes. Wilkinson won the election and later helped pass the state lottery.
New Jersey Senate Race, 1988
Carville was the campaign manager for U.S. Senator Frank Lautenberg in New Jersey. He and Paul Begala helped Lautenberg win his re-election campaign in 1988.
Georgia Governor's Race, 1990
In 1989 and 1990, Carville helped Zell Miller win the Democratic nomination for governor of Georgia. Miller's campaign focused on creating a state lottery instead of raising taxes. Carville believed this idea helped Miller win. Miller later became governor.
Texas Governor's Race, 1990
Carville also advised Jim Mattox in his 1990 campaign for governor of Texas. Mattox's campaign also suggested a state lottery to solve Texas's money problems. Mattox lost the nomination.
Pennsylvania Senate Election, 1991
In 1991, Carville helped Harris Wofford win a special election for a U.S. Senate seat in Pennsylvania. Wofford was behind in the polls, but Carville helped him create a strong campaign. Wofford focused on the idea that working Americans should have the right to a doctor, just as criminals have access to a lawyer.
Carville helped Wofford create TV ads that criticized his opponent. Wofford's unexpected victory brought Carville national attention. People in the Democratic Party hoped he could help them win the White House in 1992.
Bill Clinton's 1992 Presidential Campaign
In 1992, Carville was a key strategist for Bill Clinton's successful presidential campaign against George H. W. Bush. Carville used a simple message to focus the campaign: "It's the economy, stupid." This phrase became very famous.
He also helped Clinton deal with challenges during the campaign. Carville's work in the Clinton campaign was shown in the movie The War Room, which was nominated for an Academy Award.
American Politics in the 1990s
Carville continued to work with the Democratic Party after Clinton became president. He had special access to the White House because he often spoke with President Clinton about political matters.
In 1999, a woman named Gennifer Flowers sued Carville and his colleague George Stephanopoulos for saying untrue things about her. The case was dismissed by a federal court in 2004, and the decision was upheld in 2006.
International Elections (1990s to 2010s)
Starting in the mid-1990s, Carville worked on many election campaigns in other countries. He found this work to be financially rewarding and less risky for his reputation. He often did not talk to the news media about his international work.
Work with the U.S. State Department
In 2002, Carville and his wife, Mary Matalin, met with a group of Arab women political leaders. This was part of a program by the U.S. State Department to encourage women in politics. Carville also suggested visiting Arab and Muslim nations to share positive information about the U.S.
Campaigns in Other Countries
- Greece, 1993: Carville advised the Greek Prime Minister Konstantinos Mitsotakis, who lost his re-election bid.
- Brazil, 1994: Carville helped Fernando Henrique Cardoso win the Brazilian presidency.
- Honduras, 1997: Carville advised Carlos Flores Facussé in his successful presidential campaign.
- Ecuador, 1998: Carville helped Jamil Mahuad Witt become President of Ecuador. Mahuad later faced economic problems and was removed from office.
- Panama, 1998: Carville advised the ruling party in Panama, but their effort to allow the president to run for another term failed.
- Israel, 1998–1999: Carville advised Ehud Barak in his successful campaign to become Prime Minister of Israel. This brought American political campaign methods to Israel.
- Argentina, 1999: Carville advised Eduardo Duhalde in his presidential campaign. Duhalde lost the election but later became president in 2002.
- Bolivia, 2002: Carville's firm helped Gonzalo "Goni" Sánchez de Lozada win the presidency. Carville's work in Bolivia was shown in the 2005 documentary film Our Brand Is Crisis.
- Venezuela, 2003: Carville advised business groups who wanted to remove President Hugo Chávez from office.
- Afghanistan, 2009: Carville advised presidential candidate Ashraf Ghani. Ghani did not win the election.
- Colombia, 2010: Carville was a senior advisor for Juan Manuel Santos, who was elected President of Colombia.
- Argentina, 2015: Carville advised Daniel Scioli in his unsuccessful presidential campaign.
John Kerry's 2004 Presidential Campaign
In 2004, Carville became an informal advisor to Senator John Kerry's presidential campaign. After Kerry lost, Carville and his colleagues suggested that news coverage of the Iraq War and other events contributed to the defeat.
2000s and 2010s Activities
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Carville co-hosted a show called Crossfire on CNN from 2002 to 2005. He later joined Fox News Channel as a contributor.
In 2005, Carville taught a course on American politics at Northern Virginia Community College. He also hosted a sports radio show called 60/20 Sports with Luke Russert.
In 2006, Carville criticized the leader of the Democratic Party, Howard Dean, even though Democrats won control of Congress that year.
Carville was an executive producer for the 2006 film All the King's Men, which is based on the life of Louisiana Governor Huey Long.
In 2009, Carville predicted a peace agreement between Israel and Syria, which did not happen due to later events. He also helped the Democratic Party's strategy to make talk radio host Rush Limbaugh the face of the Republican Party.
Hillary Clinton's 2008 Presidential Campaign
Carville advised Hillary Clinton during her 2008 presidential campaign. He remained very loyal to her, even as her campaign faced challenges. He famously compared New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson to Judas Iscariot after Richardson endorsed Barack Obama.
Even though Clinton's campaign was losing momentum, Carville stayed positive in public. After Barack Obama secured the Democratic nomination, Carville said he was ready to help Obama win the general election.
Later Years (2010s and 2020s)
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In 2011, Carville became an advisor for Palantir Technologies, a company that uses data analysis. He helped them work with the New Orleans Police Department.
Carville has sometimes criticized President Barack Obama's style. In 2018, he joined the faculty at Louisiana State University's Manship School of Mass Communication. He also lectures at Tulane University.
Michael Bennet's 2020 Presidential Campaign
In January 2020, Carville supported Colorado Senator Michael Bennet's campaign for the Democratic presidential nomination. Carville appeared with Bennet at political events. Bennet did not win the nomination.
2020 Election Cycle
Carville also started a podcast called 2020 Politics War Room with Al Hunt. He often appears on MSNBC to discuss political events.
In February 2020, Carville expressed strong opinions about the Democratic presidential primaries. He was concerned about Bernie Sanders' rise in the polls and called him a "communist." He also spoke against some progressive ideas like student loan debt forgiveness.
Carville made a prediction about the 2020 presidential election results that turned out to be incorrect.
Pennsylvania Senate Election, 2022
In 2022, Carville led a group called "Penn Progress" that supported Conor Lamb for a U.S. Senate seat. This group ran TV ads that criticized one of Lamb's opponents, John Fetterman. Some news organizations said these ads were not accurate.
U.S. Presidential Election, 2024
Before the 2024 presidential election, Carville shared his views on the Democratic Party's political culture. After President Joe Biden's debate performance in June 2024, Carville was among those who suggested Biden should not run for re-election. He stated that "The country wants something new." Carville's position was later supported when Biden withdrew from the race.
Carville's life story is featured in the 2024 documentary film Carville: Winning Is Everything, Stupid!.
Public Speaking
By 2004, Carville was giving over 100 speeches a year to various groups, including businesses and colleges. People in politics saw him as a unique and influential figure. He was known for being a "multimedia corporation" because of his public appearances and endorsements.
Commercial Endorsements
Carville has appeared in many advertisements for well-known brands like Coca-Cola, Little Debbie snacks, Maker's Mark bourbon, and American Express credit cards.
Personal Life
Carville is married to Mary Matalin, a political consultant who worked for Republican President George H. W. Bush. They got married in New Orleans in October 1993 and have two daughters. In 2008, they moved their family from Virginia to New Orleans.
Carville has attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and has spoken publicly about it. He owns homes in New Orleans and Bay St. Louis, Mississippi.
Books
Politics
- All's Fair: Love, War and Running for President (1995), with Mary Matalin and Peter Knobler
- We're Right, They're Wrong: A Handbook for Spirited Progressives (1996)
- ...And The Horse He Rode In On: The People vs. Kenneth Starr (1998)
- Stickin: The Case for Loyalty (2000) with Paul Begala
- Suck Up, Buck Up... and Come Back When You Foul Up (2001)
- Had Enough? (2004)
- Take It Back: Our Party, Our Country, Our Future (2006) with Paul Begala
- 40 More Years: How the Democrats Will Rule the Next Generation (2009)
- It's the Middle Class, Stupid! (2012) with Stan Greenberg
- Love & War: Twenty Years, Three Presidents, Two Daughters and One Louisiana Home, (2014) with Mary Matalin
- We're Still Right, They're Still Wrong: The Democrats' Case for 2016 (2016)
- Bridges, Tyler, Jeremy Alford, James Carville and Mary Matalin (2016). Long Shot: A Soldier, a Senator, a Serious Sin, an Epic Louisiana Election. ISBN: 9780-692-79533-0.
Children's Fiction
- Lu and the Swamp Ghost (2004) with co-author Patricia McKissack and illustrator David Catrow
Film and Television Appearances
- Carville is a main character in The War Room, a documentary about Bill Clinton's 1992 presidential campaign.
- He appeared in the 1996 film The People vs. Larry Flynt.
- He played himself in three episodes of the sitcom Mad About You.
- He had a guest role on the sitcom Spin City.
- Carville made cameo appearances as himself in the films Old School and Wedding Crashers.
- He appeared as himself in Our Brand Is Crisis, a 2005 documentary about a Bolivian election.
- Carville played the Governor of Missouri in the 2007 movie The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford.
- He appeared as himself in NBC's comedy 30 Rock.
- He was in cartoon form in the Family Guy episode "Running Mates."
- He starred in Steven Soderbergh's HBO series K Street with his wife.
- Carville is a regular guest on The Tony Kornheiser Show.
- He voiced Judge Roland McFarlane in the King of the Hill episode "Jumpin' Crack Bass".
- He made a cameo appearance in the 2011 film The Muppets.
- Carville and his wife appeared in commercials for Maker's Mark bourbon.
- Carville appears as himself in the film G.I. Joe: Retaliation.
- He has been portrayed on Saturday Night Live, mostly by Bill Hader.
- He and his wife appeared in the documentary series Race for the White House.
- In 2024, he has been appearing on The Beat with Ari Melber.
- He appeared in the 2024 documentary film Carville: Winning Is Everything, Stupid!, which is about his life.
See also
In Spanish: James Carville para niños
