Democratic strategist James Carville attributes Vice President Kamala Harris's 2024 presidential election loss to the lingering effects of what he calls a "woke hangover" from 2020. Speaking on his "Politics War Room" podcast, the former Bill Clinton advisor argued that the association of Harris with progressive ideas, such as the "defund the police" movement, ultimately damaged her campaign and the Democratic Party's image.
Carville cited polling data suggesting that voters perceived Harris as too left-leaning. He referenced a Blueprint poll, a Democratic research initiative, which indicated that voters rejected Harris because they saw her as overly focused on "liberal cultural issues" rather than issues affecting the middle class. The Blueprint analysis concluded that Harris "couldn’t outrun her past or her party."
Despite attempts to distance herself from past stances, such as support for Black Lives Matter and the "defund the police" movement, voters seemingly couldn't separate these positions from her candidacy. Carville also highlighted Harris's previous support for taxpayer-funded sex change operations for detained illegal immigrants as another example of a policy that may have alienated voters.
Carville further connected the perceived anti-woke sentiment to recent corporate decisions, citing Walmart's rollback of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives as evidence. He believes the Democratic Party will move past these policies by 2028 but expressed concern about the "damage" already inflicted on the party's image.
Following Donald Trump's victory, Carville admitted to feeling despondent, describing his current state of mind as being in a "very, very dark tunnel."
