Political consultant James Carville engineered Bill Clinton's 1992 electoral victory.
On Monday, June 18th, noted political pundit James Carville entertained members of the House Chiefs of Staff Alumni Association (HCOSAA) and the House Chiefs of Staff Association (HCOSA) at a lively breakfast in the Rayburn House office building. Carville, best known as the principal strategist behind Bill Clinton’s 1992 presidential bid, dispensed political wisdom and offered predictions about the 2008 election with his trademark candor.
The breakfast, sponsored by Capitol Advantage, gave Carville the opportunity to speak on a variety of political issues. He discussed the quickening pace of the 2008 presidential election, and the recent move towards a “national primary,” musing that “New Hampshire will soon have its primary on Labor Day.”
Carville felt certain that former Vice President Al Gore will enter the race, along with former Speaker Newt Gingrich. As to Gore’s ambitions, the unfailingly frank Carville told members that, “Running for president is like having sex, you don’t do it once and forget about it.” And then explained, “It has a high recidivism rate.”
After considering the election, Carville talked about the role of the Chiefs of Staff and commended them for doing hard work while receiving little credit. He said that, “When I came in you guys were Administrative Assistants and someone must’ve gone in and asked for a raise and they just gave you a new title instead.”
Following the speech, he answered several questions. When asked about his role as a political adviser, he said he rarely ends up telling candidates what to say. “As opposed to filling up empty vessels, I’m usually trying to empty full vessels,” he said. He also fielded a question about Congressional endorsements for the upcoming presidential election and decided to quote former Louisiana Governor Earl Long who said, “Those that come with me early get good jobs, those that come late get good government.”
Ultimately, Carville told members, “I have good news for my Democratic friends—we really have to talk our way out of winning this upcoming election.” But then added, “And I have good news for my Republican friends—we’re perfectly capable of that.” He also left members with a parting suggestion reflective of his own success when he said that, “It is possible to take what you do seriously and not take yourself too seriously.”
The event was sponsored by Capitol Advantage
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HCOSAA is a nonprofit, bipartisan professional association composed of former Chiefs of Staff to members of the US House of Representatives. The mission of HCOSAA is to provide professional development and networking opportunities for both former and current Chiefs of Staff to House Members. The Alumni Association hosts receptions, private movie screenings, museum tours, embassy visits, and the occasional wine tasting.
