Veteran Democratic strategist James Carville urged his party not to bring back DEI and “woke” policies, arguing they had hurt Democrats in past elections.
On Thursday’s episode of the “Politics War Room” podcast, Carville discussed Democratic gains in the midterms and responded to Rep. Ro Khanna, D-Calif., saying that “DEI is back.”
Carville said he liked Khanna personally but disagreed with him. In Carville’s view, voters rejected DEI policies, and Democrats lost seats as a result. He also agreed with Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., who has dismissed what she called “Woke 1.”
Carville argued that putting identity ahead of shared humanity was a mistake, and warned Democrats they could face political consequences if they returned to that kind of language and policy.
After the 2024 presidential election, Carville had said the party was still burdened by the “stench” of woke politics. He believes Democrats have since made progress, but worries some are now reconsidering positions such as defunding the police and using academic language that alienates voters.
Instead, he said, Democrats should focus on issues where they can build agreement, including progressive taxation, pluralism, foreign policy and access to rural hospitals.
Carville described himself as a liberal rather than a progressive and said Democrats should pay more attention to rural Americans, whom he considers among the most overlooked people in the country. He urged the party to address concerns ranging from hospitals and schools to libraries.
He also warned that rural voters may see a renewed push for DEI as coastal Democrats trying to impose their views on the rest of the country.
Dan Turrentine, a Democratic co-host of “The Huddle,” said competitive candidates largely avoided social issues in the run-up to the midterms, concentrating instead on the economy and corruption. He added that candidates seeking attention may make provocative comments, but argued that a successful presidential nominee would need to appeal to a broad coalition and stay focused on voters’ main concerns.
