Carville warns Dems need 'somebody that can win this god--- thing' when asked if AOC is viable for 2028
Veteran Democratic strategist James Carville and his co-host Al Hunt offered their takes on why Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., will not be a viable contender for the 2028 election.
While Hunt and Carville are both staunch Democrats, they have warned time and time again that the party needs to shift away from far-left policies and social agendas if it wants to win elections.
When one listener noted increasing talk of Ocasio-Cortez’s prospects as a 2028 contender, asking if America is ready for a female president, Hunt offered a 2-pronged answer.
"I don't think AOC will be the nominee or the next president. I think she is a formidable communicator and figure. The Democratic Party is not a left-wing party," he first answered. "Republicans love to paint Mamdani and look at others, and they'll pick the new Washington mayor as a socialist, but the Democratic Party is a mainstream progressive party and AOC will be a force, but she's not going to be that kind of a force."
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As for whether a woman can win, he argued this is entirely possible, but as with a candidate of any identity, he said quality is what counts.
"The country is ready for a female president if we put up a good candidate. We have not put up a good female candidate," he said. "And I don't know that that'll be the case in 2028 or '32."
As with other identities, such as Black, Jewish, or gay contenders, they can win "in state houses and I think with the right candidate, they do it in the national level, too."
"Well, also Hillary lost because of a distributional fluke," Carville replied. "She carried the popular vote relatively easily, and she had bad distribution, bad turnout. Harris did not lose because she was a female. She did not lose because she was a female, a non-White female."
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The reason Harris lost, Carville argued, was because she was seen as a continuation of the status quo of the Biden era, and the American people were desperate for change.
Carville went on to say that while he is proud of the fact Democrats can nominate a diverse array of candidates, they must focus first and foremost on setting aside identity concerns and focus on electability.
"So, I think a female could win easily. It almost happened before. It kind of should have happened," he argued. "But also, I don't think the party's going to care if we nominate a White male either. I think that the lust for winning is just get somebody that can win this god--- thing, and we'll worry about everything else after."
"Yeah, I think you're right," Hunt replied.