Veteran top Democratic consultant James Carville says he wishes President Biden wasn’t running for re-election and worries that disenchanted young party voters will sit out the November election because of it.
“It isn’t the choice I was crazy about,” admitted Carville, who played a major role in getting former President Clinton first elected in 1992, on 77 WABC radio’s “The Cats Roundtable” on Sunday.
“I thought that President Biden should not run for re-election,” the political guru said. “But he did — it’s him and Trump — and that’s where I am.”
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Carville argued that the Democrats have a deep bench of younger elected officials who would be a better fit for the times than the 81-year-old Biden, including Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear, Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro, Maryland Gov. Wes Moore and House Democratic Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries of Brooklyn.
“The under-appreciated thing about the current state of the Democratic Party is there is enormous [talent] – I mean, there’s no Bill Clinton… but … there are any number of current people,” Carville told WABC host John Catsimatidis.
“[Beshear] is a good friend of mine. He’s in a state where the Democrats couldn’t come within 20 points, and he won by 5 or 6 points. There’s so much talent, and a lot of it is young and vigorous and energetic,” said Carville, a Georgia native dubbed the “Ragin Cajun” because of his reputation as a fierce political operative.
“I think Hakeem Jeffries is doing a great job… as [House] leader,” Carville added.
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“I thought that President Biden should consider not running for the election, but that’s not the choice he made. And so, I’ve got to live in the world that I’ve got to live in, not the world I wanted to live in,” the consultant said.
He noted that young voters were key to twice electing Clinton and fellow former Democratic President Obama — and said he is worried they now are tuning out both Biden and 77-year-old Trump.
Carville said their apathy could have longer-turn implications for the US.
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“The lack of enthusiasm among young people for public policy and public service and being involved in the public square is quite disheartening,” the consultant said. “I can understand it on one level. I’ve talked to them, and they feel like a lot of things are not working for them.
“They feel like two 80-year-old guys don’t mean much to them. I am really afraid that we are going to lose the generation of young people. … That’s my greatest fear for the United States, that young people are disengaging,” he said.
Despite his sour assessment, Carville said he is still “1,000 percent” behind Biden for the White House again.
“That’s the choice I got. I’m voting for Joe Biden,” he said.