The Gray Area with Sean Illing

James Carville unpacks the midterms

Listen Later

Sean Illing talks with veteran political strategist James Carville about the U.S. midterm elections — and the surprising success for Democrats that was a far cry from the "red wave" of Republican victories widely predicted by pundits. They talk about why the results differed so vastly from these expectations, what lessons both parties should be drawing from the outcomes, and whether or not the Democratic party, despite their victories, still have a systematic problem with political messaging.

This conversation took place mid-day on Wednesday, November 9th.


Host: Sean Illing (@seanilling), host, The Gray Area

Guest: James Carville (@JamesCarville), political strategist; co-host, Politics War Room podcast

References: 

  • Fall 2022 Harvard Youth Poll (Oct. 27)
  • Exit poll data from ABC News and CNN
  • "'Wokeness is a problem and we all know it': James Carville on the state of Democratic politics" by Sean Illing (Vox; Apr. 27, 2021)
  • "GOP to use debt limit to force spending cuts, McCarthy says" by Eugene Robinson (Washington Post; Oct. 18)
  • 2022 abortion-related ballot measures (Ballotpedia)
  • "Democrats' Long Goodbye to the Working Class" by Ruy Teixeira (The Atlantic; Nov. 6)
  • "Is John Fetterman the Future of the Democratic Party?" by Michael Sokolove (New York Times; May 18)
  • On Carville's role in the abortion referendum campaign in Kansas: "The Most Consequential Vote in Recent American History is Happening Today and the News Media Is Ignoring It" by Colby Hall (Mediaite; Aug. 2nd)
  • "How a 10-Year-Old Rape Victim Who Traveled for an Abortion Became Part of a Political Firestorm" by Solcyre Burga (Time; July 15)
  • "Democrats still have a path to keep the House — but it's tough" by Andrew Prokop (Vox; Nov. 10)

     

    Enjoyed this episode? Rate The Gray Area ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ and leave a review on Apple Podcasts.

    Subscribe for free. Be the first to hear the next episode of The Gray Area. Subscribe in your favorite podcast app.

    Support Vox Conversations by making a financial contribution to Vox! bit.ly/givepodcasts

    This episode was made by: 

    • Producer: Erikk Geannikis
    • Editor: Amy Drozdowska
    • Engineer: Patrick Boyd
    • Editorial Director, Vox Talk: A.M. Hall

      Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

      ...more
      View all episodesView all episodes
      Download on the App Store
      The Gray Area with Sean IllingBy Vox
      • 4.5
      • 4.5
      • 4.5
      • 4.5
      • 4.5

      4.5

      10,573 ratings

      More shows like The Gray Area with Sean Illing

      View all
      Fresh Air by NPR

      Fresh Air

      38,485 Listeners

      The New Yorker Radio Hour by WNYC Studios and The New Yorker

      The New Yorker Radio Hour

      6,780 Listeners

      On the Media by WNYC Studios

      On the Media

      9,183 Listeners

      The Political Scene | The New Yorker by WNYC Studios and The New Yorker

      The Political Scene | The New Yorker

      3,998 Listeners

      Explain It to Me by Vox

      Explain It to Me

      7,852 Listeners

      Switched on Pop by Vulture

      Switched on Pop

      2,676 Listeners

      Pivot by New York Magazine

      Pivot

      9,492 Listeners

      Gastropod by Cynthia Graber and Nicola Twilley

      Gastropod

      3,646 Listeners

      Decoder with Nilay Patel by The Verge

      Decoder with Nilay Patel

      3,151 Listeners

      The Daily by The New York Times

      The Daily

      112,574 Listeners

      Good One: A Podcast About Jokes by Vulture

      Good One: A Podcast About Jokes

      1,486 Listeners

      Radio Atlantic by The Atlantic

      Radio Atlantic

      2,316 Listeners

      Today, Explained by Vox

      Today, Explained

      10,238 Listeners

      Interesting Times with Ross Douthat by New York Times Opinion

      Interesting Times with Ross Douthat

      7,070 Listeners

      Throughline by NPR

      Throughline

      16,249 Listeners

      Land of the Giants by Vulture

      Land of the Giants

      2,164 Listeners

      Waveform: The MKBHD Podcast by Vox Media Podcast Network

      Waveform: The MKBHD Podcast

      5,974 Listeners

      Unlocking Us with Brené Brown by Vox Media Podcast Network

      Unlocking Us with Brené Brown

      23,617 Listeners

      A Touch More with Sue Bird & Megan Rapinoe by Vox Media Podcast Network

      A Touch More with Sue Bird & Megan Rapinoe

      712 Listeners

      Hard Fork by The New York Times

      Hard Fork

      5,471 Listeners

      Good Noticings by Vox Media Podcast Network

      Good Noticings

      6,452 Listeners

      The Ezra Klein Show by New York Times Opinion

      The Ezra Klein Show

      16,082 Listeners

      Unexplainable by Vox

      Unexplainable

      2,293 Listeners

      Cover Story by New York Magazine

      Cover Story

      1,217 Listeners

      The Interview by The New York Times

      The Interview

      1,577 Listeners

      Not Just Football with Cam Heyward by Cam Heyward

      Not Just Football with Cam Heyward

      150 Listeners

      Networth and Chill with Your Rich BFF by Vivian Tu

      Networth and Chill with Your Rich BFF

      1,743 Listeners

      Served with Andy Roddick by Served with Andy Roddick

      Served with Andy Roddick

      1,103 Listeners

      Prof G Markets by Vox Media Podcast Network

      Prof G Markets

      1,332 Listeners

      The Opinions by The New York Times Opinion

      The Opinions

      547 Listeners

      Bird's Eye View with Sue Bird by Sue Bird

      Bird's Eye View with Sue Bird

      424 Listeners

      Solutions with Henry Blodget by Vox Media Podcast Network

      Solutions with Henry Blodget

      35 Listeners