Veteran Democratic strategist James Carville weighed in on the current presidential race late Friday, saying that with less than three months to go, the election will ultimately come down to a contest between “refined” and “vulgar.”
MSNBC’s Stephanie Ruhle noted that one of the party’s candidates recently vowed to cut “unnecessary bureaucracy and unnecessary regulatory red tape” and encourage innovative technology. Ruhle noted that this pledge was not from former President Trump, but from Vice President Harris, who released her economic proposal on Friday.
When asked by the “11th Hour” hosts why Trump is still seen as the “pro-business candidate,” Carville argued that the former president inherited a “very good” economy, while the Biden administration has had to deal with a damaged economy.
He also criticized the personal attacks the Trump campaign has launched against Harris and her running mate, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, who has been embroiled in a spat in recent days with Republican vice presidential nominee Sen. J.D. Vance (R-Ohio) over his military record.
“I thought this race was going to be classy versus vulgar. We’re the classy candidates, they’re the vulgar candidates, and they’re criticizing honorable people who served honorably. He can’t whine that he’s entitled to personal attacks,” Carville said. Panel interview in progress Friday.
Republicans have called for Harris to recalibrate her campaign message to be more policy-focused after former President Donald Trump stepped up his attacks on her racial identity, intelligence and even the way she laughs.
The former president hit back at the criticism in remarks at his New Jersey golf club on Thursday.
“As far as the personal attacks, I’m very angry about what she’s done to this country,” Trump said. “I think I’m entitled to the personal attacks. I don’t have much respect for her. I don’t have much respect for her intelligence, and I think she’d be a terrible president.”
Carville said Democrats have been focusing on solving problems and have seen improvements recently.
“Crime is down, border crossings are down and inflation is down,” he said, referring to the price index falling below 3 percent for the first time since March 2021.
“I have news for you guys. You know, the problem is not static. It’s going to be addressed, it’s going to get better. The Fed is expected to cut rates in mid-September,” Carville continued. “But I think our party, the Democrats, have two really classy candidates, whereas they have two really vulgar candidates.”
