Democratic strategist and pundit James Carville admonished Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) and other progressives who have argued the Democratic Party needs radical change in order to beat Republicans in coming elections.
“Bernie has run for president twice, he’s lost twice, AOC and her kind … they want to run against other Democrats,” Carville said during an appearance on Chris Cuomo’s NewsNation program “CUOMO” on Wednesday night. “They don’t want to run against Republicans. When you beat a Republican, come back and see me and I’ll be impressed.”
Carville conceded top progressives have drawn sizable crowds to rallies and events in recent weeks, but knocked their current messaging strategy, saying, “Democrats are not the problem right now.”
Ocasio-Cortez has drawn large crowds across the country as part of a “Fighting Oligarchy” tour that has sparked speculation about her political future and ambition for higher office.
Carville argued Democratic voters are “trying to tell [Sanders] something,” by not nominating him for president and predicted Ocasio-Cortez would fair similarly.
Cuomo added he has “no problem” with more political parties and choices for voters, calling the current political system a “binary battle to the bottom.”
“Maybe they need to split off from the Democratic Party,” Carville suggested.