Carville: ‘Very, very concerned’ about election in wake of hurricanes

Longtime Democratic strategist James Carville said Wednesday he’s concerned time is running out for the Harris campaign to drive a message to voters ahead of Election Day, especially as the hurricanes dominate the news cycle this week.

“The only thing I feel is, the election is coming Nov. 5. I’m scared to death,” Carville said on MSNBC’s “The Beat with Ari Melber” when asked how he feels about an unrelated documentary, which showcases the strategist’s decades-long role in Democratic politics.

“Not in a particularly reflective mood right now,” he continued. “I’m very, very concerned and very scared.”

Carville estimated Vice President Harris has fewer than 20 days to drive a message to voters, counting 26 days until the election and noting, “Today is gone. You’re going to lose four to the hurricane … and everything kind of shuts down the Saturday before the election.”

“So you’re really probably under 20 days that you have to really get a message out,” he added.

Carville said the Harris campaign needs to be more aggressive in driving a message and go on the offensive more as the election fast approaches.

“They need to be sharp. They need to be aggressive. They need to stop answering questions and start asking questions. They’re doing all this and sitting down with ’60 Minutes’ and sitting down with [Stephen] Colbert and sitting down with this,” Carville said. “No matter what, if I come on your show, you’re going to ask me the questions. If I have a press conference, I get to ask the questions.”

Carville did not say whether he wants to see Harris do more press conferences when Melber followed up to clarify the suggestion.

But the 79-year-old said the Harris campaign should directly respond to what he described as false claims from the Trump-Vance ticket, including by deploying former Presidents Obama and Clinton to do so. He mentioned Sen. JD Vance’s (R-Ohio) recent claim at the vice presidential debate that former President Trump saved ObamaCare as an example of an incorrect claim that the Harris team could combat.

“I’d like for her to put more things in play,” Carville said, when asked whether he wants to see more press conferences from Harris, “where she’s out saying, ‘What is JD Vance talking about that Trump saved ObamaCare? He tried to destroy it at every point.’ I would put President Obama out to make that; he’s only got at 92 percent approval with Democrats.”

“I would have President Clinton talking, going on these local TV stations talking about how tariffs are going to destroy the economy of Wisconsin or Michigan or anywhere else because they have never worked,” he continued.

“But we’re just letting that go. And I think she and the whole campaign needs to be much more aggressive and much less passive than they are.”