James Carville Lays Out His Plan to Save Democrats

Democratic strategist James Carville gets right to the point in his New York Times column about the current mess for his party: "Mark my words: Joe Biden is going to be out of the 2024 presidential race." He doesn't spend much time on how that will come to pass but instead focuses on what would come next. Carville envisions a "Democratic mini-primary" that would feature four town halls across the country between now and the August party convention. In those town halls, the top contenders would engage in "high-stakes job interviews" to prove they should be the nominee.

And how to pick them? That's where former presidents Obama and Clinton come into play. "I would advise Presidents 42 and 44 to select eight leading contenders out of the pool of those who choose to run, with (VP Kamala) Harris most definitely getting a well-earned invite," writes Carville. Obama and Clinton might consult with Democratic governors, or not. "I'm not worried about time," Carville adds. "We have excitement and momentum on our side." He predicts Democratic voters will get "fired up" by the process. (Read his full column.)