James Carville, reliable Democrat, on the President’s attempt to troll the GOP debate:
“I do think this is a really big debate and I think the White House was out of bounds…in trying to schedule a speech during a debate,” Carville said on “GMA.”
[snip]
“Given a choice between watching a debate and the speech I would have watched the debate and I’m not even a Republican or even close to being a Republican,” he said, adding it will be a “barn burner.”
Which it will be, if for no other reason than Mitt Romney will have to take this debate seriously from the get-go. He’s not the presumed nominee anymore, and Romney wants that status back he’s going to have to up his game – which is why Carville (and everybody else in this business) was planning to tune in next Wednesday. And why they’re themselves a little ticked off at the President for trying to crash the party; after all, none of the professionals (on both sides of the spectrum) expect anything actually substantive from Obama’s speech anyway…
Via @cayankee.
Moe Lane
Remember, Moe, Carville is a Clinton guy, so 1) this is an easy bit of payback, and 2) the lower Obama falls, the better it is for Hillary when or if she steps down from State Department and launches a primary challenge. I wouldn’t be surprised to see more of the DLC types reaching for the long knives in the days and weeks ahead.
I think you’re reading too much into it. Carville is actually one of the brighter bulbs over on the left and I think this is he honest reaction without the need for ulterior motive. I don’t think Hillary will mount a primary challenge, in any case, but that’s a whole nother discussion.
… after all, none of the professionals (on both sides of the spectrum) expect anything actually substantive from Obama’s speech anyway …
“Nothing substantive”? How can you say that?
“Now let me be clear. For over two years I have presented one reasonable, detailed, nonpartisan proposal for jobs creation after another to this Congress, only to be sandbagged by an obstructionist Congress and Republicans shamelessly pandering to Tea Party extremists. Their unpatriotic stonewalling has kept this administration from getting our country moving again. The time has come for the American people to tell Congress to put politics aside and unite for our common good. As I have said, the rich must finally pay their fair share. The Tea Party fat cats [scratches cheek with middle finger and smiles] have to learn that we will not let them ruin this country with their unpatriotic selfishness.”