James Carville Rips First Night Of Dem Convention

As the convention wound down to a close Monday evening, the Republican National Committee blasted out video of ex-Clinton strategist James Carville slighting the night's festivities. "If this party has a message," he said on CNN, "it's done a hell of a job hiding it tonight, I promise you that."

Pundits and analysts kicked around similar concerns, wondering whether the convention was too positive and not tough enough on John McCain and the Republicans.

My take: given the coordinated efforts to paint Michelle Obama as the angriest woman in America, the program on her night had to be positive. Not only her speech, but her lead-ins. Thus the love-in. Does anyone think that Hillary Clinton's night won't boast some sharper contrasts?

I emailed strategist and CNN talker Alex Castellanos to get his view. "I think tonight was fine," he wrote. "Tonight was defense, [meant to] fix the problems and open the door to Barack Obama for voters, so that tomorrow night they can start herding the voters through it with sharper attacks."

Castellanos offered another explanation for Monday's positive tone: the Kennedy moment. "It was important because it transferred to Obama the moral leadership of the Democratic Party, which the Kennedys -- not Clinton -- hold."

And it appears the conservative strategist was not totally resistant to Michelle Obama's charms, either, adding that she "may have helped a bit."

Comments

[BurtR]

Carville and Matalin must disappear

[2faced]

The DNC convention's first day was to introduce the " president in waiting's" family background and make him one of us. Michelle did a superb job. Carville didn't criticize her. He only stated that dems should have some other speakers besides Michelle to show some teeth and tear into the republican dirty tricks. McCain showed up on Leno the same night selling his made up stories about his POW standing and Cindy's father's WWII hero status and humble beginnig. You have to wait and see what the Repug's first day and the rest of the convention to contrast it with the Dem's. ALL repug barking dogs are already howling. You should have seen Larry King last night Even the lady representative from Tennesse wasn't ladylike at all. James Carville recognizes that attack machine very well.

[DCtrain]

Carville is Gollum incarnate.­... the ring of power... the ring of control... he doesn't have it.... his precious

[OBXartist]

Ha! Too funny! Now that you mention it, there is more than a passing resemblance between Carville and Gollum. Hee, hee, hee. I'll never look at Carville the same way again.

Trixie little Obamases keeps the precious from us!

[JC1c1]

LMAO Too funny, love the trixie little Obamases

DCtrain, now I will never be ablt to watch Carville, without that picture popping up. TY lol

[Djackson56]

here you go my friend:

http://www.bongonews.com/layout1.php?event=348

[Djackson56]

http://www.bongonews.com/layout1.php?event=348

[jpage78]

Dear god in heaven! Stop the hand wringing and whining about Hillary Clinton...­.I'm starting to believe that Huffpost has an obsession with her. She will do her job tonight...­very professionaly .

We didn't go negative in 2004 at the convention­...Kerry got almost no bounce...y­ou can preach about hope all you want, but unless you say SOMETHING snarky it's been proven that you will get no bounce. Mark Warner won't go negative..­.Hillary will but she has to walk the tightrope.­...so it won't be a red meat speech.

This worries me....I understand the first night had to be positive..­..but looking at the lineup for the next couple nights I'm not seeing lots of red meat.

[DCtrain]

Dear God, thank you that Hillary has on the surface repented of her devious and dishonest ways. I pray that the blind hardcore followers will begin to think and see the folly of their notion of supporting Mc C ain. I pray that they would repent of that crazy thinking and come back to the fold of hope.

[mamae]

Carvelleand his sister uh i mean wife both need to call it a day and go back to the underworld form which they came.

[NABNYC]

Who was it who said that a southern gentleman is a man who pees in the kitchen sink instead of on the floor? I always think of that saying when I see James Carville. Not posturing, not mincing words as they say. I don't often agree with him, but this time he is right on the money and people should pay attention.

What was the message of the first night? Michelle and Barack are not scary. Why is that the message? Because the Clintons and the Republicans have both encouraged the country to believe that black people are scary. A really stupid defensive move. Grandpa McCain says: Barack hates America. And Barack says uh-uh. No game of his own because he spends all his time defending against the other teams -- the first being the Republicans, and the second being the Clintons' minions (or as some call them the "other" Republicans).

Ted Kennedy gave the Democrats their opening: universal healthcare for every citizen in this country. The Democrats' coffers have been filled by the insurance companies, the doctors' lobbies and the drug companies, so they reject that idea out of hand while citizens die everywhere because they can't afford healthcare. And that is what's wrong with the Democratic Party: they have nothing to offer the public until and unless they are willing to give up the bribes and start being real patriots. When pigs fly.

[WatchmanD]

THE FOURTH ESTATE
At a crossroad - report the news vs create the news.
Bloggers are receiving a bump

[Zia]

Carville is the wife of Mary Matlin, right? We are going to him for coverage? CNN, you don't have any other analyst? By the way, the feed in CNN was from FAUX News, that is Carville did not hear any red-meat from Pelosi and other speakers. FAUX got to cover this convention, as it is done by major broadcasting networks in turn. Carville, point your fingers at Faux, not the organisers.

[WillNYC]

CNN as far as I'm concerned has made it clear... they want drama, close polls, and negativity. They are morphing into FAUX news... if you want that to stop. Don't go the station... boycott it. Money and ratings speak louder than ethics and fair reporting.

[baxtersbrother4]

Just watch C-SPAN and make your own judgements.

[Tobiasism]

Maybe the party will turn its back on this pimple and we will never have to see him again.

[bernj]

Carville is old news. He simply does not matter anymore. After all, how can you sleep with a facist every night and then claim to tell Barack Obama what he needs to do. Carville is a sad joke.

[Swerinjer]

Carville was right. We need to ATTACK!!!! Last night was a waste. 25% down the drain

[baxtersbrother4]

I think that we had to deal with some business first, and them the gloves come off.

[Donze]

Carville..­.you and Begala sound like the same bag of old tricks. Enough already.

[jrterrier]

well, it just happens that carville and begala are the last two dem strategists to win a national election.

[banats]

Maybe Carville saw more than most Americans did. I heard only the prime time coverage which included Caroline Kennedy, Ted Kennedy, and Michelle Obama. Very appropriate. Carville said that Michelle Obama was "superb." But maybe when you take in all the people who spoke yesterday, the Democrats were playing softball and should be playing more hardball. I also heard Carville say on GMA that Clinton supporters need to get over it. I don't think he is sour grapes. It seems as if he is always being interviewed for his opinion. If he were working on the Obama campaign, he would be buried. I have a feeling that he is loving his position. He has thrown his support to Obama and written him a check in the maximum amount. Carville is Carville. Take him or leave him. But, he's not a sore loser and he's not one to wallow in self-pity. Carville has moved on, but I think that he has a close friendship with the Clintons that he is not going to end. Obama supporters need to listen to the criticism and see if there is any validity in it. Although, I think that Carville's criticism was pretty mild. He had positve things to say as well.

[eXcommunicate]

James Carville look alike contest:

Contestant #1
http://www.movieconnection.it/schede/nosferatu.jpg

Contestant #2
http://getsbybuckner.files.wordpress.com/2008/01/skeletor.jpg

Contestant #3
http://saintmatteide.files.wordpress.com/2008/02/crypt-keeper.jpg

Contestant #4
http://muitobarulho.files.wordpress.com/2007/09/gollum.jpg

[PoliJunkie]

ROFLMO!!! I think he looks like uh...all of them!!!! LOL!!!!

[bernj]

Me too

[RoseBlue]

LOL! Contestant #4! Hands down!!!

[nmjangirl]

I LOVE it!!! He looks like all of them I think

[tim4change]

Good job! #4 hands down.