Democrat strategist James Carville: What went wrong in Virginia election was 'stupid wokeness'
Carville expressed concern about McAuliffe's campaign prior to the election
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Democratic strategist James Carville suggested during PBS NewsHour on Wednesday that progressives and "wokeness" were to blame for the recent Democratic election losses in Virginia.
When asked how Democratic candidate Terry McAuliffe lost to Republican Glenn Youngkin in a state that President Biden won by 10 points a year earlier, Carville replied that it was nothing short of "stupid wokeness" and the progressive agenda.
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{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Democratic gubernatorial candidate Terry McAuliffe prepares to speak at an election night party in McLean, Va., Tuesday, Nov. 2, 2021. (AP Photo/Steve Helber) (AP Photo/Steve Helber)
"What went wrong is stupid wokeness. Don’t just look at Virginia and New Jersey. Look at Long Island, Buffalo, look at Minneapolis, even look at Seattle, Washington. I mean this ‘defund the police’ lunacy, this take Abraham Lincoln’s name off of schools, people see that. And it really has a suppressive effect on all across the country on Democrats. Some of these people need to go to a woke detox center or something," Carville said.
He added "We got to change this and not be about changing dictionaries and change laws."
Liberal media pundits blamed racism and "white supremacy" for McAuliffe’s loss, despite voters electing Winsome Sears as the first Black female lieutenant governor in the state. Carville suggested that this form of "wokeness" will actually hurt the party in the long run.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}WEST ORANGE, NEW JERSEY - JUNE 06: Community members observe a moment of silence that lasted 8 minutes and 46 seconds to honor George Floyd during a Black Lives Matter protest at the Municipal Building on June 06, 2020 in West Orange, New Jersey. The West Orange Youth Caucus organized this peaceful event on the 12th day of protests since George Floyd died in Minneapolis police custody on May 25. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images) ((Photo by Elsa/Getty Images))
"They’re suppressing our vote. I’ve got news for you, you’re hurting the party and hurting the very people you’re trying to help," Carville said.
Prior to the election, Carville voiced his concern that McAuliffe would lose the governor race in October after receiving backlash for saying he didn’t believe parents should tell schools how to teach their kids.
"It’s close. There’s no doubt about it, and I’m scared to death. And other Democrats should be. And the solution to that, if you know people in Virginia, call them and ask them to vote. If you are in Virginia, call and ask other people to vote. But the only thing that I can tell you, it’s a close race," Carville said in October.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}ICSS - Securing Sport 2015 - Harold Pratt House, New York - 4/11/15 James Carville interviews Sunil Gulati, President, U.S. Soccer Federation during Day 2 of Securing Sport 2015 - the annual conference of the International Centre for Sport Security Photo Eduardo Munoz for ICSS Livepic (Gett)
Although Carville advised against focusing on woke politics, other Democratic strategists disagreed. Former President Obama's campaign manager David Plouffe suggested Democrats "go on the offense" in regards critical race theory.