James Carville came into town in the 80's, pre-Clinton, to work on a local Democrat's campaign. At the end of the day, they had one of the volunteer workers, a guy in his early twenties, drive him to his hotel. Along the way, he asked the kid if he knew where Carville could get some poontang.
I worked a concert by a One Hit Wonder. They played all these unknown bad songs as they did a "deep dive" into their "catalog"; finally some Bro yells out "PLAY THE (whatever song)" and the singer actually paused and said into the mic, "okay, that's at the END."
To be fair and not intending to argue your very salient points here, some (many? few?) baby boomers were raised in households where the words "communist" and "socialist" were akin to "Satan" and "killing children." It may be that some schools taught, without hysteria, the true meaning and effect of those political systems but not mine nor anyone else's that I knew. It wasn't until I went into the Navy in 1974 that I actually got a clear and unbiased education on their real meaning without the hysteria. Surprising, I know, but I think the trainers, who required that all attendees had received the Top Secret security clearances we'd been waiting many months for, wanted to make sure that before we went any further into the work we were there for, we were firmly supporting the USA and its systems and coming from a position of an educated perspective and not the hysteria (and rightly so) of the post WWII era.
None of these people clutching their pearls and fainting or screaming understand that the words don't carry the emotional weight as with older generations. Communism was gone long before they were born.
Their view of Capitalism is a lot worse than anything Communism or Socialism can invoke.
Ta, Gary. I would have voted for Brad Lander even if Mayor Mamdani had not endorsed him. Very decent human being; I'll be glad to have him represent us in Congress. Dan Goldman should have very publicly returned AIPAC's donations. He didn't, he wouldn't, and he'll land on his feet. The impeachment trial showed us he's a great lawyer. Congress is full of attorneys, and someone else will take up the bit.
We need moderates in places where moderates can win. The last thing the party as a whole needs is moderates. What we need is fighters and this bunch at the top of the party structure ain't it.
This isn't anything new. These establishment Democrats screaming their heads off entered politics by challenging the entrenched, calcified Democratic establishment in the 80's and 90's, made up of those who'd started in politics just after the war.
In a sane, sensible world, the Old Guard would recognize the end of their time and gracefully step aside for the next generation, but that doesn't even happen in fiction.
My kids don't do, or believe, as I did when I did when I was their age.
Does that bother me? No. When I was their age it was 1992. No cell phones. No internet. You used newspaper want ads to get jobs or roommates. Most people didn't use credit cards very much. A lot of people still couldn't tell their friends they were gay.
They'd be idiots to do in 2026 what I did in 1992.
James Carville and his ilk may not be idiots. But when they look at fascists and "kids these days," they see their interests better represented by the fascists.
If Carville is going to lead the charge, then "Fuck All Y'All" is the syntax to use.
I give his deeply-informed insights into 21st century NYC political forces the same credibility I owe GOP legislators opining on how lady parts work.
The best response I've seen to Jaime Harrison's flounce came from Courtney Milan, who ticks off some street-level points of primary-season anecdata to counter his "Don't rely on our volunteers" threat.
Per Courtney, "This is a fight between the volunteers of the Democratic Party and the consultant/ billionaire class of the Democratic Party."
In all honesty, I have never liked James Carville, Al Hunt (and his white wig), Jody Powell, Hodding Carter, or Bill Moyers. At least Pierre Salinger had the moxie to move on with his life, and not bore us with his political “acumen” or opinions or lack of contacts beyond the front page of the Post. (At least Robert Novak had contacts, worked them, and broke stories. You know, reporting.) The New York changeover has been visible ever since AOC won her first election. Give Jerry Nadler this, he could read the writing on the wall and jump before he was pushed. Brad Lander is a nice young man who realized that Zohran and he were stronger together than competing against each other, so they formed an alliance, and Brad called in his favor, and ran harder than Goldman, and he won. As for the other two candidates, they are young, bright, full of ideals, and full of energy. They ran harder, just like Ilhan Omar, and Rashia Tlaib have done, and they won. Liberals (Remember when NYC used to have a Liberal and a Conservative party?) are PO’d at Joel Greenblatt, the ADL, and AIPAC, because the Knesset is reading bills to say that Secular and Reform “aren’t really Jews”, according to the Chief Rabbinate, can’t get married or divorced, and their conversions don’t count, and female Rabbis aren’t Rabbis. If Yentl goes to school and studies hard, she should be a Rabbi. If someone wants to be Jewish, and spends a year in classes learning how to be a Jew, he or she should be able to call himself or herself a Jew, and not get branded antisemitic by some old fuddy-duddies who are on a power trip, like our SCOTUS. I hope they tell the fundraisers from UJA to go jump in the reflecting pool, and give to J Street instead.
So Al and Jim, can’t you old guys retire to playing shuffleboard, and take Cal Thomas and George Will with you, and go to the old pundits home and reminisce about what you were wearing when Reagan was drooling on himself and waving around Nancy’s gun, and let the young whippersnappers with their social media and their new ideas take over? You had a show with Mark Shields and David Brinkley and Jack Germond, and all those guys are dead. That should tell you something.
So I'm not really Jewish? You mean all that bullying during ten years of public school was for something the alta kockers in a country that didn't exist 80 years ago pulled out of their collective ass? It's not in the Torah, jerkwads. Go peddle your BS to someone who gives a shit.
James Carville came into town in the 80's, pre-Clinton, to work on a local Democrat's campaign. At the end of the day, they had one of the volunteer workers, a guy in his early twenties, drive him to his hotel. Along the way, he asked the kid if he knew where Carville could get some poontang.
The kid didn't know what he meant.
James Carville is so sad to me.
I worked a concert by a One Hit Wonder. They played all these unknown bad songs as they did a "deep dive" into their "catalog"; finally some Bro yells out "PLAY THE (whatever song)" and the singer actually paused and said into the mic, "okay, that's at the END."
Like that. Sad.
To be fair and not intending to argue your very salient points here, some (many? few?) baby boomers were raised in households where the words "communist" and "socialist" were akin to "Satan" and "killing children." It may be that some schools taught, without hysteria, the true meaning and effect of those political systems but not mine nor anyone else's that I knew. It wasn't until I went into the Navy in 1974 that I actually got a clear and unbiased education on their real meaning without the hysteria. Surprising, I know, but I think the trainers, who required that all attendees had received the Top Secret security clearances we'd been waiting many months for, wanted to make sure that before we went any further into the work we were there for, we were firmly supporting the USA and its systems and coming from a position of an educated perspective and not the hysteria (and rightly so) of the post WWII era.
None of these people clutching their pearls and fainting or screaming understand that the words don't carry the emotional weight as with older generations. Communism was gone long before they were born.
Their view of Capitalism is a lot worse than anything Communism or Socialism can invoke.
I've loathed Carville for a very long time. He's way past his expiration date.
Ta, Gary. I would have voted for Brad Lander even if Mayor Mamdani had not endorsed him. Very decent human being; I'll be glad to have him represent us in Congress. Dan Goldman should have very publicly returned AIPAC's donations. He didn't, he wouldn't, and he'll land on his feet. The impeachment trial showed us he's a great lawyer. Congress is full of attorneys, and someone else will take up the bit.
It's sad. He was once an oracle. He now needs to go outside and enjoy what's left.
He does downplay the fact that this presidential campaign that he single-handedly won did include Bill Clinton, who did some of the work.
I do think a lot of these people hate the Democratic Party, though. Just once, I'd like to see the DSA take out a Republican incumbent.
We need moderates in places where moderates can win. The last thing the party as a whole needs is moderates. What we need is fighters and this bunch at the top of the party structure ain't it.
Fighters can come from anywhere on the spectrum. As can appeasers. Josh Marshall had a good thing about this recently.
Agree!
Carville is exactly why the D Party is as irrelevant as it is. And wrong. Dottering old fool, STFU.
Watching corporate, “moderate”, AIPAC-whoring democrats lose while dying inside is almost as fun as watching MAGA’s suffer.
Social democracy now, by any means necessary.
Make room for Carville right next to Bill Maher on the dustbin of history.
We'll need to burn and bleach that thing or throw it out entirely...
I think it's healthy for the party to eject the old ideologies shown to not work. Buh bye Jimmy.
This isn't anything new. These establishment Democrats screaming their heads off entered politics by challenging the entrenched, calcified Democratic establishment in the 80's and 90's, made up of those who'd started in politics just after the war.
In a sane, sensible world, the Old Guard would recognize the end of their time and gracefully step aside for the next generation, but that doesn't even happen in fiction.
My kids don't do, or believe, as I did when I did when I was their age.
Does that bother me? No. When I was their age it was 1992. No cell phones. No internet. You used newspaper want ads to get jobs or roommates. Most people didn't use credit cards very much. A lot of people still couldn't tell their friends they were gay.
They'd be idiots to do in 2026 what I did in 1992.
James Carville and his ilk may not be idiots. But when they look at fascists and "kids these days," they see their interests better represented by the fascists.
That's a real problem.
If Carville is going to lead the charge, then "Fuck All Y'All" is the syntax to use.
I give his deeply-informed insights into 21st century NYC political forces the same credibility I owe GOP legislators opining on how lady parts work.
The best response I've seen to Jaime Harrison's flounce came from Courtney Milan, who ticks off some street-level points of primary-season anecdata to counter his "Don't rely on our volunteers" threat.
Per Courtney, "This is a fight between the volunteers of the Democratic Party and the consultant/ billionaire class of the Democratic Party."
SOLID THREAD: https://bsky.app/profile/did:plc:s5fi6htc7xhnshxxn37dg65c/post/3moywuj6khs2l
In all honesty, I have never liked James Carville, Al Hunt (and his white wig), Jody Powell, Hodding Carter, or Bill Moyers. At least Pierre Salinger had the moxie to move on with his life, and not bore us with his political “acumen” or opinions or lack of contacts beyond the front page of the Post. (At least Robert Novak had contacts, worked them, and broke stories. You know, reporting.) The New York changeover has been visible ever since AOC won her first election. Give Jerry Nadler this, he could read the writing on the wall and jump before he was pushed. Brad Lander is a nice young man who realized that Zohran and he were stronger together than competing against each other, so they formed an alliance, and Brad called in his favor, and ran harder than Goldman, and he won. As for the other two candidates, they are young, bright, full of ideals, and full of energy. They ran harder, just like Ilhan Omar, and Rashia Tlaib have done, and they won. Liberals (Remember when NYC used to have a Liberal and a Conservative party?) are PO’d at Joel Greenblatt, the ADL, and AIPAC, because the Knesset is reading bills to say that Secular and Reform “aren’t really Jews”, according to the Chief Rabbinate, can’t get married or divorced, and their conversions don’t count, and female Rabbis aren’t Rabbis. If Yentl goes to school and studies hard, she should be a Rabbi. If someone wants to be Jewish, and spends a year in classes learning how to be a Jew, he or she should be able to call himself or herself a Jew, and not get branded antisemitic by some old fuddy-duddies who are on a power trip, like our SCOTUS. I hope they tell the fundraisers from UJA to go jump in the reflecting pool, and give to J Street instead.
So Al and Jim, can’t you old guys retire to playing shuffleboard, and take Cal Thomas and George Will with you, and go to the old pundits home and reminisce about what you were wearing when Reagan was drooling on himself and waving around Nancy’s gun, and let the young whippersnappers with their social media and their new ideas take over? You had a show with Mark Shields and David Brinkley and Jack Germond, and all those guys are dead. That should tell you something.
I liked Moyers.
So I'm not really Jewish? You mean all that bullying during ten years of public school was for something the alta kockers in a country that didn't exist 80 years ago pulled out of their collective ass? It's not in the Torah, jerkwads. Go peddle your BS to someone who gives a shit.
All I said was I liked Bill Moyers
Dude hit a home run once and has since thought everyone wanted his opinion on all baseball games since.
I had a friend,
A big baseball player
Back in high school.