Has James Carville Forgotten 'It's The Economy, Stupid'?

James Carville seems to be struggling to stay in the spotlight, or at least in the penumbra of the spotlight. A committed Clinton creature, Carville has actually made some sense in recent statements on the leftward lurching of national Democrats, and in that, he's right to be concerned. The Democratic Party has gone full wackadoodle, and Carville seems to retain enough self-awareness to be worried about it.

But on Thursday, following the passage of the One Big Beautiful Bill (get lost, Chuck Schumer), Carville went on the record as predicting the OBBB would result in a "mass extinction event" for Republicans in 2026.

He's forgetting one thing.

Veteran Democratic strategist James Carville said during a recent interview that the Republican tax and spending bill, which President Trump signed Friday, will be seen as a “mass extinction event,” predicting the Democratic Party will pick up more than 40 House seats in the 2026 midterms.
“And I like with the unified party — every Democrat voted against this. Every Democrat, regardless of the ideology, their ethnicity … we can all rally around this, and we can run on this single issue all the way to 2026. And Paul is right, we‘re going to pick up more than 40 House seats,” Carville, the former strategist for former President Clinton’s campaign, said during a Thursday appearance on CNN’s “Anderson Cooper 360.”

The Democrats, granted, have always been good at sticking together. They are, after all, much more collectively-minded than most Republicans, as we witnessed just this week with the Senate and House GOP leadership engaging in some serious cat-herding to get the OBBB (barely) passed. But it did get done.

President Trump is much more optimistic about the midterms:

Trump hammered Democrats late Thursday during his rally in Des Moines, Iowa, saying he hates them for not supporting the massive package and that Republicans will be able to benefit from those votes politically when midterm elections come around.
“All of the things we did with the tax cuts and rebuilding our military, not one Democrat voted for us. And I think we use it in the campaign that’s coming up, the midterms,” Trump told the crowd.
“But all of the things that we’ve given, and they wouldn’t vote. Only because they hate Trump. But I hate them, too. You know that? I really do, I hate them,” the president added. “I cannot stand them, because I really believe they hate our country, you want to know the truth.”

Of course, there's one thing that all this will hinge on - and it's something that James Carville, of all people, should remember: "It's the economy, stupid." It's a phrase he coined, as seen in the linked excerpt from the 1993 documentary, "The War Room."

Startling Statement From Carville on Whether He Would Support AOC for President: 'If You Win, You Win'

So far, since President Trump resumed office, the economic indicators have all been good. Gas prices are down, grocery prices are down, inflation is under control, and the markets are doing well. Americans are going back to work. The OBBB is intended to super-charge all this, and if it works, then President Trump may be right about the midterms.

Midterms are, however, always tough sledding for the party in power. But one would think that, of all people, James Carville would be a little more thoughtful about the economy's resurgence. The midterms are still an eternity away, in the political calendar, but if all this works - if America gets back to work, and the economy rebounds to even a fraction of what the president and GOP leadership are claiming it will, then the Republican majorities should hold, or even expand.

Elections are almost always primarily about the economy. Right now, the GOP has a good argument to make about that.

Help RedState continue to tell the truth about the Trump administration's accomplishments as we continue to usher in the Golden Era of America. Join RedState’s VIP and use promo code FIGHT to get 60% off your membership today.