Celebrated Democratic political consultant James Carville said Friday that a poor economy, persistent unemployment, an ineffective communications team and the president’s own inability to connect with voters make Barack Obama beatable in the fall elections.
“We have a pretty weak incumbent,” said Carville, who helped a scrappy Bill Clinton to an unlikely 1992 election. Citing Obama’s low approval ratings and high unemployment, the advisor noted that the statistics are not on Obama’s side. “I’ve seen worse, but that’s on the low side,” he said of Obama’s ratings among voters, adding, “He’s not a shoo-in for reelection.”
But Carville adds that it won’t be the GOP that beats Obama. The reason: The GOP candidates are even worse. “I think the Republicans can’t beat him, but events can,” he said, suggesting that the fallout of the Supreme Court’s upcoming decision on Obama’s health reform act will be huge. “Romney can’t beat Obama heads-up.”
Addressing the American Apparel and Footwear Association convention at the Four Seasons Hotel in Georgetown, Carville dissed the GOP as inept and further right than the Republican Party itself. And he called Mitt Romney a weaker GOP challenger than former Sen. Bob Dole, beaten by Clinton in 1996.
“Romney is the weakest challenging front-runner ever,” said Carville, who backed Hillary Clinton against Obama in the 2008 election. “And if you think he’s weak, look at what’s chasing him,” he added of Rick Santorum and Newt Gingrich. Romney, he added, “is just not a good candidate.”
But he’s not so high on Obama either. For example, he finds Obama unable to connect with regular Americans. “he’s got to figure out a way to get into the heads of most Americans,” said Carville. What’s more, he’s not a fan of the communications strategy that has the president trying to take credit for the economic recovery before most Americans feel any change.
“Don’r respond” when asked about the recovery, advised Carville. “You can’t start saying I’m taking credit,” he added, when most people won’t starting sensing a change in the economy for a long time.
He ended his address with a shout out to his hosts. “Everybody has to wear clothes,” he said to laughter.
