James Carville facts for kids

Quick facts for kids James Carville
Carville in 2011
Personal details
Born	Chester James Carville Jr. (1944-10-25) October 25, 1944 (age 80) 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)
Alma mater	Ascension Catholic High School
Nickname	Ragin' Cajun
Military service
Branch/service	United States Marine Corps
Years of service	1966–1968
Rank	Corporal

James Carville (born October 25, 1944) is an American political strategist, writer, and sometimes an actor. He has helped many politicians win elections in the United States and in over 20 other countries. As a Democrat, he often shares his opinions on U.S. elections on TV news shows, podcasts, and during speeches.

People call him the "Ragin' Cajun" because of his energetic style. Carville became famous for being a main strategist in Bill Clinton's successful 1992 presidential campaign. He also played a key role in the campaigns of other Democratic presidential candidates, including John Kerry in 2004, Hillary Clinton in 2008, and Michael Bennet in 2020.

He is married to Mary Matalin, who is a political strategist for the Republican Party.

Early Life and Education

Carville was born on October 25, 1944, at a U.S. Army hospital in Georgia's Fort Benning. His father was stationed there during World War II. James was raised in Carville, Louisiana, where his mother, Lucille, lived. His mother, a former teacher, spoke French at home. His father, Chester James Carville Sr., was a postmaster and owned a general store.

The town of Carville, Louisiana, was named after his grandfather, Louis Arthur Carville. Louis Arthur was once the postmaster there. James Carville has seven brothers and sisters.

One of Carville's first experiences with politics was taking down campaign signs for a candidate when he was in high school. He graduated from Ascension Catholic High School in Donaldsonville, Louisiana, in 1962.

He went to Louisiana State University (LSU) from 1962 to 1966. He later joked that he was "something less than an attentive scholar." He left LSU for a while.

Carville served two years in the United States Marine Corps from 1966 to 1968. He was stationed at Camp Pendleton in San Diego and reached the rank of Corporal.

After his military service, Carville returned to LSU. He finished his studies at night, earning his Bachelor of Science degree in 1970 and his law degree in 1973. He was a member of the Sigma Nu fraternity. Before becoming a political consultant, Carville worked as a junior high school science teacher and then as a lawyer in Baton Rouge from 1973 to 1979.

Political Consulting in the United States

Carville learned about political consulting from Gus Weill. Weill opened the first advertising firm in Baton Rouge that focused on political campaigns.

Early Work in Louisiana

In the late 1970s, Carville worked for Weill-Strother, a political consulting firm. This firm helped with campaigns for Louisiana governors and U.S. Representatives.

In the early 1980s, Carville was an executive assistant to East Baton Rouge Parish mayor-president Pat Screen. In 1985, he helped Cathy Long win a special election for a congressional seat in Louisiana.

Texas Senate Race, 1984

In 1984, Carville met his future consulting partner, Paul Begala. Carville managed Lloyd Doggett's campaign for a Texas Senate seat. Doggett was a liberal candidate. Carville helped Doggett win the Democratic nomination.

During the general election, Doggett lost to Phil Gramm. Carville later said that after this loss, he was "scared to death" because he was 40 years old and had no money or health insurance.

Pennsylvania Governor Election, 1986

Carville helped Bob Casey Sr. become the Governor of Pennsylvania in 1986. Casey first won the Democratic primary election.

In the general election, Casey's opponent, Bill Scranton, made a mistake. His campaign sent out a brochure that attacked Casey's ethics. Carville, who was brought in to make the campaign more aggressive, told journalists that the mailer was wrong. Casey won the election by a small number of votes.

Kentucky Governor Contest, 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 for the state.

Wilkinson won the election and became Kentucky's 57th governor. He then helped pass a law to allow a state lottery.

New Jersey Senate Contest, 1988

Carville was the campaign manager for New Jersey U.S. Senator Frank Lautenberg in his successful 1988 re-election campaign. Carville and Paul Begala led Lautenberg's campaign against Republican challenger Pete Dawkins.

Georgia Governor Contest, 1990

In 1989 and 1990, Carville helped Zell Miller win the Democratic nomination for governor of Georgia. Miller was a conservative Democrat and had been lieutenant governor for four terms.

Miller won the nomination and later defeated Johnny Isakson in the general election. Miller later gave important speeches at national Democratic and Republican conventions.

Texas Governor Election, 1990

In 1990, Carville advised Jim Mattox, the Texas Attorney General. Mattox was known for his tough political style. Carville advised Mattox to base his campaign on the idea that a state lottery would solve Texas' money problems without needing new taxes.

Pennsylvania Senate Special Election, 1991

In 1991, Carville helped Harris Wofford run for a U.S. Senate seat in Pennsylvania. The seat became open after Senator John Heinz died in a plane crash. Governor Casey appointed Wofford to fill the seat, and Wofford faced a special election.

Wofford's opponent was Dick Thornburgh, who was the U.S. Attorney General. The election was seen as an early test for President George H.W. Bush's re-election chances. Carville helped Wofford create an aggressive campaign. They ran TV ads that attacked Thornburgh for taking expensive flights on government jets.

Wofford was far behind in the polls, but he won the election in November. This surprising victory brought Carville national attention. The Democratic Party saw him as someone who could help them win the White House in the 1992 U.S. Presidential election.

Bill Clinton's 1992 Presidential Campaign

In 1992, Carville was a key leader in Bill Clinton's successful presidential campaign against George H. W. Bush. Carville used a strategy that focused on the economy, similar to what he used for Senator Harris Wofford. This strategy was based on articles that showed what was "wrong" with America's economy. Clinton often used these articles in his speeches.

Carville famously used three main points to keep his campaign team focused. He wrote them down in the campaign's "war room":

• Change vs. more of the same.
• The economy, stupid.
• Don't forget health care.

In June 1992, Clinton was behind in the polls. Carville helped Clinton get back into the news by having him criticize hip hop artist Sister Souljah. This move created a public debate and helped Clinton appeal to more moderate voters.

In 1993, Carville was named Campaign District Manager of the Year. His work on the Clinton campaign was shown in the famous documentary film The War Room.

International Elections: Helping Leaders Around the World

Starting in the mid-1990s, Carville worked on many election campaigns outside the U.S. This included helping Tony Blair, who was then the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, win re-election in 2001.

Carville found working on international campaigns to be more profitable and less risky for his reputation. He once said that if you lose a campaign in another country, "no one knows or cares."

Working with the U.S. State Department

In 2002, Carville and his wife, Mary Matalin, met with a group of 55 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 information about the U.S. He believed it was important to tell young people about choices beyond "hopelessness and terrorism."

Greece, 1993

Carville and his team advised Greek Prime Minister Konstantinos Mitsotakis. However, Mitsotakis was unpopular because of his economic policies and lost his re-election bid.

Brazil, 1994

In 1994, Carville helped Fernando Henrique Cardoso win the Brazilian presidency. Cardoso was a professor who had studied in the U.S. He was elected with support from different political parties. During his time as president, Cardoso sold off government-owned companies and reformed Brazil's social security and tax systems.

Honduras, 1997

In 1997, Carville advised Carlos Flores Facussé in his campaign for President of Honduras. Flores had studied at Louisiana State University and later became a newspaper publisher. He campaigned on a "New Agenda" to improve Honduras' economy.

Flores won the election. After he became president, Hurricane Mitch caused a lot of damage in Honduras. Flores worked on rebuilding efforts and tried to privatize state-owned companies.

Ecuador, 1998

In 1998, Carville helped Jamil Mahuad Witt become President of Ecuador. Mahuad was an attorney who had studied at Harvard Kennedy School. He was elected Mayor of Quito before running for president.

After an economic crisis, Mahuad took strong measures to control inflation, including freezing bank accounts and changing Ecuador's currency to the U.S. dollar. In 2000, he was forced out of office.

Panama, 1998

In 1998, Carville was hired to help Panamanian President Ernesto Pérez Balladares get re-elected. Pérez Balladares had studied in the U.S. and had reformed Panama's labor laws and privatized utilities. However, the proposal to allow him a second term was defeated by voters.

Israel, 1998–1999

At the suggestion of President Bill Clinton, Carville and other colleagues advised Ehud Barak, a candidate for Prime Minister of Israel. They helped Barak create an aggressive campaign using tactics common in American politics, like negative ads and quick responses to news. Barak won the election by a large margin.

Argentina, 1999

Carville advised Eduardo Duhalde, the governor of Buenos Aires Province, in his 1999 campaign for president of Argentina. Carville's fee was $30,000 per month, plus travel expenses.

Duhalde lost the election. However, he later became president of Argentina from 2002 to 2003 after other leaders resigned during a period of unrest.

Bolivia, 2002

In 2002, Carville's firm helped Gonzalo "Goni" Sánchez de Lozada in his campaign for president of Bolivia. Sánchez de Lozada had lived in the U.S. and spoke Spanish with an American accent.

Carville helped Sánchez de Lozada run a campaign with a catchy slogan, "Bolivia sí puede" ("Yes, Bolivia can"). He also used negative ads against opponents. Sánchez de Lozada won the election but resigned in 2003 and left Bolivia after protests. Carville's work in Bolivia was shown in the 2005 documentary film Our Brand Is Crisis.

Venezuela, 2003

In early 2003, Carville advised Venezuelan business groups who wanted to remove leftist president Hugo Chávez from office. Carville later said he would be "very reluctant to call Chávez a democrat."

Afghanistan, 2009

Afghan presidential candidate Ashraf Ghani hired Carville as an advisor in July 2009. Ghani had studied and worked in the U.S. Carville said this election was "probably the most important election held in the world in a long time." His goal was to prevent Ghani's opponent, Hamid Karzai, from winning a majority in the first round. Ghani only received a small percentage of the vote, and Karzai became president.

Colombia, 2010

In 2010, Carville was a senior advisor for presidential candidate Juan Manuel Santos in Colombia. Santos had studied in the U.S. and served as Colombia's Minister of Trade and Minister of Finance. He later became Minister of Defence.

Carville helped Santos analyze voter polls and create a winning strategy. Santos was elected President of Colombia. Later, Santos admitted that his 2010 campaign received illegal payments from a Brazilian company.

Argentina, 2015

Carville advised Daniel Scioli in his campaigns for governor of Buenos Aires and his unsuccessful presidential campaign in 2015. Scioli lost in a runoff election.

John Kerry's 2004 Presidential Campaign

In September 2004, Senator John Kerry asked Carville to be an informal advisor for his 2004 presidential campaign. After Kerry lost, Carville and his colleagues blamed external events, like news coverage of the Iraq War and a video from Osama bin Laden.

Media Appearances and Teaching

Carville co-hosted CNN's Crossfire from 2002 to 2005. He was a CNN contributor until 2013, then joined Fox News Channel in 2014.

In 2005, Carville taught a course called "Topics in American Politics" at Northern Virginia Community College. He invited many famous political figures to speak to his class.

In 2006, Carville became a host on a sports radio show called 60/20 Sports. He also 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 2018, Carville joined the faculty at Louisiana State University's Manship School of Mass Communication. He also teaches political science at Tulane University.

Hillary Clinton's 2008 Presidential Campaign

Carville advised Hillary Clinton during her 2008 presidential campaign. He remained very loyal to her, even when her campaign started to struggle.

On March 22, 2008, Carville strongly criticized New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson for endorsing Barack Obama. Carville felt Richardson had betrayed the Clintons, comparing him to Judas Iscariot. Richardson denied making any promises to stay neutral.

Even as Clinton's campaign lost momentum, Carville publicly supported her. However, in May 2008, he admitted that Obama would likely be the nominee. After Obama secured the nomination, Carville said he was ready to help him raise money for the general election.

Recent Political Involvement

In 2011, Carville became an advisor for Palantir Technologies, a company that develops software. He helped them work with the New Orleans Police Department to use predictive policing software.

Carville has sometimes criticized President Obama's political style. In 2010, he made a controversial remark suggesting that Hillary Clinton was a tougher candidate than Obama.

In 2019, Carville and Al Hunt launched a podcast called 2020 Politics War Room. He also frequently appears on MSNBC cable news to discuss elections.

Michael Bennet's 2020 Presidential Campaign

In January 2020, Carville supported Colorado Senator Michael Bennet's campaign for the Democratic presidential nomination. Carville praised Bennet, calling him "John Kennedy recloned." Bennet's campaign was not successful, and he received very few votes.

2020 Election Cycle

In February 2020, Carville expressed strong opinions about presidential candidate Bernie Sanders. He called Sanders a "communist" and his supporters a "cult." Carville also spoke against progressive ideas like student loan debt forgiveness.

In November 2020, Carville incorrectly predicted that the presidential election results would be known on election night. It took several more days to declare a winner.

Pennsylvania Senate Election, 2022

In 2022, Carville led a political action committee called "Penn Progress." This group spent money to support Conor Lamb in his bid for a U.S. Senate seat. Carville's group ran TV ads that tried to portray one of Lamb's opponents, John Fetterman, as a "democratic socialist." News organizations quickly said this claim was false.

U.S. Presidential Election, 2024

After President Joe Biden's debate performance in June 2024, Carville was among those who called for Biden to end his re-election campaign. He stated that "The country wants something new."

A documentary film about Carville's life, Carville: Winning is Everything, Stupid!, was released in 2024. It covers the period when he encouraged Biden to end his re-election bid.

Public Speaking

In 2004, The New York Times reported that Carville gave over 100 speeches each year. He spoke to businesses, colleges, and at fundraising events for the Democratic Party. People noted that Carville had become a unique and famous political consultant. He was known for being a "walking conglomerate" because of his many activities.

Commercial Endorsements

Carville has appeared in advertisements for many well-known brands. These include Coca-Cola, Little Debbie snacks, Maker's Mark bourbon, Heineken beer, Alka-Seltzer antacid, American Express credit cards, Nike shoes, and others.

Personal Life

Carville is married to political consultant Mary Matalin. She worked for Republican George H. W. Bush in his 1992 presidential campaign. Carville and Matalin 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 for organizations that help children and adults with ADHD.

Carville sold his house in New Orleans in 2021. He moved to Bay St. Louis, Mississippi, for a short time before moving back to New Orleans in June 2021. He still owns his house in Bay St. Louis and visits often.

Politics War Room with James Carville & Al Hunt Podcast

In 2019, Carville and Al Hunt started their podcast. It offers a "backstage pass" to political events and elections.

Books

Carville has written several books, mostly about politics. Some of his well-known political books include:

• All's Fair: Love, War and Running for President (1995), with Mary Matalin
• We're Right, They're Wrong: A Handbook for Spirited Progressives (1996)
• It's the Middle Class, Stupid! (2012), with Stan Greenberg

He also wrote a children's fiction book:

• Lu and the Swamp Ghost (2004), with Patricia McKissack

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 made cameo appearances as himself in the films Old School and Wedding Crashers.
• He appeared as himself in Our Brand Is Crisis, a documentary about the Bolivian presidential 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 the NBC comedy 30 Rock.
• He voiced a character in the King of the Hill episode "Jumpin' Crack Bass".
• He made a cameo appearance in The Muppets.
• He and his wife have appeared in commercials for Maker's Mark bourbon.
• He was portrayed on Saturday Night Live, mostly by Bill Hader.
• He is the star of the documentary film Carville: Winning Is Everything, Stupid!, which tells his life story.

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See also

In Spanish: James Carville para niños