Carville Torches Harris: VP Was Democrats' '7th String Quarterback' in Election

Paul Riverbank, 2/2/2025Democratic strategist Carville slams Kamala Harris's campaign, calling her Democrats' seventh-string quarterback choice.

The metaphor, as devastating as it is colorful, carries particular weight coming from the veteran political operative who once championed Harris's prospects. "We ran a presidential election, if we were playing a Super Bowl, we started our 7th string quarterback. That's what happened, okay?" Carville declared during a recent PBS "Firing Line" interview with Margaret Hoover.

What makes this assessment particularly striking — and perhaps emblematic of the Democratic Party's current soul-searching — is Carville's dramatic reversal from his previous stance. Just weeks before the 2024 election, the same strategist penned an op-ed for The New York Times boldly titled "Three Reasons I'm Certain Kamala Harris Will Win." The contrast between his pre-election bravado and post-election critique offers a stark illustration of how thoroughly Harris's campaign collapsed.

In that now-infamous column, Carville had proclaimed, "On the other side, in just three months Ms. Harris has assembled a unified and electrified coalition. From Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez to Liz and Dick Cheney, it is the broadest we have seen in modern political history." Such optimistic predictions now read like political fantasy — or perhaps wishful thinking — in light of the election's outcome.

The "Ragin' Cajun," as Carville is known, didn't stop at sports metaphors. In what might be his most cutting observation, he suggested that Democratic voters would have been impressed simply to see candidates who could "actually complete a sentence" — a particularly pointed jab at Harris's notorious struggles with unscripted communication.

"You can't address a problem unless you're honest about a problem," Carville insisted, highlighting what many see as the Democratic establishment's reluctance to acknowledge fundamental issues with their candidate selection. His reference to "staggering talent" within the Democratic Party serves as both a rebuke to the party's leadership and a lament for what might have been.

The football metaphor — particularly savage given that most NFL teams don't even maintain three backup quarterbacks — speaks to more than just Harris's individual failings. It suggests a systematic failure within the Democratic Party to field their strongest possible candidate in what was arguably one of the most consequential elections in recent memory.

For Democrats still processing their electoral defeat, Carville's frank assessment might serve as either a wake-up call or a painful reminder of missed opportunities. His evolution from confident predictor to harsh critic mirrors the broader Democratic establishment's journey from certainty to soul-searching — a journey that may well shape the party's approach to future presidential contests.

In a remarkable display of political candor, Democratic strategist James Carville has delivered a blistering critique of Kamala Harris's failed presidential bid — comparing the Democratic Party's decision to run her to starting a "seventh-string quarterback" in the Super Bowl.The metaphor, as devastating as it is colorful, carries particular weight coming from the veteran political operative who once championed Harris's prospects. "We ran a presidential election, if we were playing a Super Bowl, we started our 7th string quarterback. That's what happened, okay?" Carville declared during a recent PBS "Firing Line" interview with Margaret Hoover.What makes this assessment particularly striking — and perhaps emblematic of the Democratic Party's current soul-searching — is Carville's dramatic reversal from his previous stance. Just weeks before the 2024 election, the same strategist penned an op-ed for The New York Times boldly titled "Three Reasons I'm Certain Kamala Harris Will Win." The contrast between his pre-election bravado and post-election critique offers a stark illustration of how thoroughly Harris's campaign collapsed.In that now-infamous column, Carville had proclaimed, "On the other side, in just three months Ms. Harris has assembled a unified and electrified coalition. From Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez to Liz and Dick Cheney, it is the broadest we have seen in modern political history." Such optimistic predictions now read like political fantasy — or perhaps wishful thinking — in light of the election's outcome.The "Ragin' Cajun," as Carville is known, didn't stop at sports metaphors. In what might be his most cutting observation, he suggested that Democratic voters would have been impressed simply to see candidates who could "actually complete a sentence" — a particularly pointed jab at Harris's notorious struggles with unscripted communication."You can't address a problem unless you're honest about a problem," Carville insisted, highlighting what many see as the Democratic establishment's reluctance to acknowledge fundamental issues with their candidate selection. His reference to "staggering talent" within the Democratic Party serves as both a rebuke to the party's leadership and a lament for what might have been.The football metaphor — particularly savage given that most NFL teams don't even maintain three backup quarterbacks — speaks to more than just Harris's individual failings. It suggests a systematic failure within the Democratic Party to field their strongest possible candidate in what was arguably one of the most consequential elections in recent memory.For Democrats still processing their electoral defeat, Carville's frank assessment might serve as either a wake-up call or a painful reminder of missed opportunities. His evolution from confident predictor to harsh critic mirrors the broader Democratic establishment's journey from certainty to soul-searching — a journey that may well shape the party's approach to future presidential contests.