Carville wants us all to be mediocre, not be right often, and no kumbayah.

[madfloridian]

No, I am not kidding. He actually said he would be happy if he had "mediocracy." I think he meant "mediocrity". Wouldn't a mediocracy be a group in which all were mediocre?

“If we just had mediocracy I’d be the happiest person in the world,” Carville said. “You put political hacks in an important position and there are consequences.”

:think:
And now you ask, to which group did he say those words of wisdom? It was a group of 1000 college Democrats last year. Get this....he is encouraging a group of college Democrats to be...."mediocre."

Main Entry: me·di·o·cre
Pronunciation: "mE-dE-'O-k&r
of moderate or low quality, value, ability, or performance : ORDINARY, SO-SO

What else did he say? He said no more Kumbayah. Well, it's really hard to find an exact meaning of Kumbayah, but I connect it with warm feelings of getting along and having a connection with each other. I think some say it means "Lord come by here" from an old spiritual. But Carville said to those college kids we can't have any of that.

At a speech sponsored by the Northwestern College Democrats Thursday evening, Carville told the audience that Democratic candidates can’t succeed by shouting out to every group in a crowd. Instead candidates should tell stories with the three elements of any good story — setup, conflict and resolution.

“No Kumbayah crap,” Carville said.

Also at that appearance paid for by the College Democrats he has some other things to say...specifically about one of his favorite targets, Howard Dean.

Using Al Gore as an example, Carville said being a smart candidate is not enough.

“It’s actually possible to be wise, right and strong,” he said.

But Carville added that no one in Washington likes anyone who is right too often. Howard Dean’s accurate assessment about the failure of the war in Iraq helped kick him out of the running for president despite his passion, Carville said.

It's bad to be right too often?

:think:

Here is the link to his appearance last October.

http://www.opednews.com/articles/opedne_elizabet_051007_carville__dems_need_.htm

[tblue]

1. Why, of all the Democrats (if that's what he is), is this nutcase given so much air time?

Mr. Mary M*talin needs to take a back seat right now. It should be Dean on all these shows.

[Vincardog]

3. Because he is saying the things the Corporate Masters want to hear.

[ShotInTheDark]

44. Carvy has always been a master at

staying on message, it's just a shame he doesn't much speak for the Democratic Party anymore.

[Vincardog]

2. Would someone please pass Capt. Que ball a big steaming plate of STFU?

[4morewars]

4. Who cares what Carville wants ?

He's irrelevant, he's a part of the old Democratic Party.

[Rose Siding]

5. Carville's in bed with the Republican party.

(literally) Ick ick ick. AND he makes a living by being a provocative catterer. Movement politics, as exemplified by victorious Democrats, interferes with his financial interests.

[madfloridian]

6. I refuse to become mediocre for Carville.

He had the nerve to say that to college kids.

Oh, and read this about a Mediocracy...

http://www.waysys.com/ws_content_bl_ppm.html

"A “mediocracy” is an organization in which the mediocre prevails. Most people in a mediocracy are mediocre in both mind and soul, and most products of a mediocracy lack merit. Although a few individuals in a mediocracy may strive to rise above the second rate, their attempts are likely to be doomed by the prevailing ethos of their surroundings."

Or read this:

http://conspiracy.mindsay.com/mediocracy_it_is_not_democracy.mws

"Mediocrity + democracy=Mediocracy

Mediocracy is the mockery of democracy; it is the willing or unwilling mass-acceptance of a mediocre form of democracy. It is the deliberate and unprincipled exploitation of the weakness and ignorance of “the many” to benefit the unapologetic, greedy, bizarrely proud few.

“Mediocrats” were highly visible when we learned that ENRON executives, who were engulfed in money, were making jokes over the phone about how enjoyable it was to take Californian energy users for a ride during the energy crisis.

Mediocracy was obvious when the NAFTA Trade Agreement proved to be hurtful to the American economy with its trillion-dollar deficit and the loss of many jobs to outsourcing. Having not learned the lesson, now the creation of CAFTA (Central America Trade Agreement) will continue to erode middle Americans’ jobs, create more low-wage slavery in foreign country, and make the trade deficit bigger. If you doubt that this is mediocracy, think about SAFTA (South American Free Trade Agreement), It’s in the pipeline! "

That word sends my school teacher/English minor mind wandering all over.

:tinfoilhat:

[Totally Committed]

63. Exactly....

The only "Cumbaya" he wants is "bipartisanship" with the OTHER side.

TC

[hijinx87]

7. I used to have so much respect for this guy . . . .

now he just needs to STFU.

[gratuitous]

8. Give me Marianne Williamson

If her words were good enough for Nelson Mandela, they're good enough for me:

"Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It's not just in some of us; it's in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others."

Carville sounds like a very fearful man, afraid of Democratic success because it will make him obsolete.

[madfloridian]

13. I respect her writing a lot.

"There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you."

[mtnsnake]

9. He was making an example right after talking about REPUBLICANS. You are a

what I'd call a real and present danger to anyone who doesn't fit your bill of 100% perfection of whatever it is that you happen to be pushing for your special limitied interests. Any person reading the 24/7 BULLSHIT that you spin about them should be very very concerned about what you're trying to do to their reputation.

I notice you didn't include the sentences leading up to the one you quoted, because it would ruin your devious attempt at railroading Carville into oblivion around here.

[madfloridian]

12. Bullshit on that. He mimicked Kerry, dissed Gore, insulted Dean

and yelled sometimes..the article says.

Why was he doing that in front of a group of college Democrats?

Why would any Democrat do that to others by name.

[sillyparty]

29. Every Progressive

Every Progressive dissed Kerry and Gore.

And sometimes they deserved it. But they said, Gore and Bush would be the same.

And these are the people that are all pissed at Carville.

Sorry, you reap what you sow.

[paulk]

10. it's pretty clear from the context of his "mediocracy" remark

that he was referring to Republicans.

Perhaps he meant that even mediocrity was preferable to incompetence.

[Name removed]

11. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[talk hard]

14. dude, can you read?

cuz the article doesn't say what you say it does

[madfloridian]

17. If you're talking to me....I am a dudette.

I read very well...taught school for years before retiring.

I just come to DU to get insulted by people who say dude can you read.

It says exactly that....and I am waiting to see all the people defending it.

I...can...not..wait on the defenses.

:rofl:

[wyldwolf]

19. the OP is rabblerousing

You'll get used to it.

[madfloridian]

20. Not really, ww. not really. Just calling it like I see it.

Carville was talking to college students. He should not have used that word, he should not have insulted 3 good Democrats.

[wyldwolf]

22. yes, you're calling it like YOU see it. rabblerousing.

[mtnsnake]

42. You quite simply took your words & put them into Carville's mouth to distort

any true meaning that he actually had. That is sad.

[madfloridian]

43. Does this make 6 of you now?

I believe that is a new record.

[mtnsnake]

71. 6 what? 6 people who arent willing to stand around putting up with your propaganda?

[Cha]

15. KNR~ Everyone should see this.

Thanks for finding this, mad. Gee, what a mediocre ol' world this would be if everyone thought like the achiever challenge carville. Or does he just want everyone else to think mediocre so he can surge ahead on his iq.

Who cares if carville is happy?

[mtnsnake]

45. Are you kidding me? You condone this kind of witch hunt where someone

completely takes someone's words, doesn't include the full context of them, and railroads their own slanted BS meaning of it down your throat?? Learn to think for yourself sometime instead of believing what madfloridian would like everyone to believe. Oh, wait, you must hate Carville, too, so the truthful meaning of his words just don't matter.

This if fucking pathetic.

[madfloridian]

50. Carville is an asshole who tried to hurt the party this week

He could not let us enjoy the win before going after the chairman who was elected by the members.

He advocated "mediocracy" in front of a 1000 college kids, he made fun of 3 good Democrats, he yelled, and distorted.

There are 6 of you in this thread going crazy, and I am right.

[Cha]

80. What I think is "fucking pathetic" is

james carville matalin. The College should have saved their $60, 000..fucking mercenary.

[wyldwolf]

16. Crazy

Another example of how "some people" obsessivelly scour the search engines looking for anything they can use to misrepresent the words and actions of their enemies

And to present such day after day is the very definition of being a rabblerouser.

It becomes tedious to even point it out anymore.

I guess you're being triple-teamed.

[madfloridian]

18. No, 4 of you now. I am so so so used to it.

Read the interview...try to excuse him. He says he would be happy with Mediocracy, which ain't really a good word...the word is mediocrity.

He likes it, it would make him happy.

[Name removed]

21. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[madfloridian]

23. I think you just crossed the line.

.

[wyldwolf]

24. what? Again? What you are doing is what the rightwing did to Kerry...

...you're taking lines out of context and making them imply something that was never said.

I know... "you're backing away now..."

[madfloridian]

25. No, you crossed the line, ww. You know you did.

I have quoted, requoted, posted it...he had no excuse for saying something like that.

He has done this often, and I will point it out now that he is being quoted all over the world as wanting Dean fired right after a great win for all of by all of us.

To put it bluntly, he's an asshole

[wyldwolf]

27. yes.. you have quoted, requoted, posted it...out of context

To put it bluntly, he's an asshole

Ironic.

[sillyparty]

31. Dems Stabbed Kerry in the back

Plenty of Dems stabbed Kerry in the back.

[talk hard]

33. they just wanted him

to STFU before an election ----

he can put his foot in his mouth on his own time

[Cha]

79. Musta crossed the line..

it got Removed!

[sillyparty]

26. Carville Is Evil

So let's spend two years fighting him.

There's the game plan.

Who will stalk him every day, we have to know what he has for breakfast.

Then we boycott that company.

Next, we learn what he drives. Then if you drive that car, you have to drive it off a bridge.

This is war. After two years, we can get rid of Carville.

Sure the war will keep going, ten thousand more dead and a million Iraqi's. And sure the Repulcians will be in power.

But we will have done something. We will get rid of Carville. And that is why America voted.

Has it ever been more clear. We must destroy Carville or America will die.

[IndianaGreen]

47. Carville is not evil, he is just a proxy for Hillary

I wonder to what extent is Carville spouting the same views that Hillary holds in private.

[mtnsnake]

75. Carville is just one easy way for you to get at Hillary. lol

I highly doubt you'd be taking as much exception with Carville as you all are if it weren't for this.

Tell me something, though. Not to change the subject, but if Hillary becomes President, do you think we should call her President Clinton or just plain Hillary? What about Madame President?

[madfloridian]

28. When Carville tries to fire Dean, though he has no authority...

many here remain silent. The usual ones. Now that I am quoting some of his earlier foolish statements...even saying Dean was right too often....then I am being attacked.

Go for it. This was done in front of a group of college kids. Outrageous.

The worst that will happen is that it will be a sub thread thingy, even though I have been accused of lying, being a paid consultant, and rabble rousing.

Sad.

[sillyparty]

30. Rabble Rousing

Same rousing, different rabble.

Is this just some need to show, we are cooler then them. I'm sure you can find some mad liberals saying some stupid stuff.

Why do you care. There are real problems.

[madfloridian]

32. Wow. Is it 5 now of you now? How about that Carville/Russert XM show..

Is it sports, political or what.

http://www.orbitcast.com/archives/president-clinton-talks-with-carville-russert-on-xm-satellite-radio-today.html

As Arianna explained, this was all given publicity on Tim Russert's show called MTP. Luke is his son.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/arianna-huffington/russert-watch-announcing_b_14268.html

[talk hard]

34. I think you purposely say crazy shit

so people will point it out and you can pretend to be the victim

that is really some crazy shit you got goin on

[madfloridian]

35. Welcome to DU....say what you have to say, my friend.

Be as insulting as you wish.

[talk hard]

36. Ive been here since 2004

you got that wrong 2 ---

but thanks for the welcome anyway

[madfloridian]

37. Well, again...5 of you? 5 to 1 with a correct quote and all?

That's pretty bad, you know. And when I am being tag-teamed, no one steps in to defend.

[talk hard]

38. why would anybody that reads the article defend your misinterpretation?

just asking

[madfloridian]

39. There are no misinterpretations.

Just go ahead. We all saw the real Carville this week...he's an asshole.

But people here stay out of it when I am getting it from all sides.

They find it easier that way.

[talk hard]

46. so he's an asshole ---- you still misrepresented the article

one has nothing to do with the other

[madfloridian]

58. No, I did not misrepresent anything.

.

[mtnsnake]

72. You most certainly did, or all these people wouldn't be calling you on it

[madfloridian]

77. I consider the source.

I know I post fairly and sensibly. The ones who called me out on this know I do as well.

Carville gave a poor speech, he made fun of Kerry, Gore, and Dean that we know of. There is no excuse for that.

I consider the source.

[madfloridian]

41. "some crazy shit you got goin on"

No, not really. Not at all.

[madfloridian]

57. Oh, BTW,, could you find some of my "crazy shit?" Post it please.

If you are going to accuse me, then you need to prove it.

Please find the crazy shit you talk about.

[mtnsnake]

73. You don't have to go any further than your OP

where you totally spun new meaning...your own preposterous meaning...into something that had nothing to do with what Carville was talking about in that one sentence you quoted. You took his sentence, the one where he was talking about Republicans, and made it sound as if he were making a condescending statement towards his fellow Democrats when that was not the case. Shame on you and on anyone else who goes along with you on this kind of agenda.

[Rainscents]

40. What is "mediocre" mean?

This is first time, I've heard this word. :shrug: I didn't go to school here and I am still learning English.

[Eric J in MN]

48. mediocre = Not good, not bad, but in the middle.

It has negative connotations.

[Rainscents]

54. Eric... Thanks!

:hi: Learn something new everyday.

[madfloridian]

56. The definition was in the OP.

I put it there because I was a teacher for over 30 years, and I saw the dumbing down of our education system here. It is alarming.

[Eric J in MN]

49. Carville's point is that the Bush Administration is awful...

...it would be better if it were mediocre.

[talk hard]

51. yep ---- that's it

thanks man

[madfloridian]

52. He was talking to college Democrats.

He said he would be happy with mediocracy.

In fact that is about what our schools have been doing, think about it.

Mediocre makes the ruling easier.

I am right on this.

[madfloridian]

55. Even if that is what you think he meant....isn't that alarming?

To say that just being mediocre is better than being rotten?

This is ridiculous. He could have called Bush corrupt without using tha term. I think he meant let the consultants do it.

[Eric J in MN]

60. Are you expecting the college students who saw the speech...

...to strive for mediocrity, because Carville said that would be an improvement for the Bush administration?

[madfloridian]

68. I think it was a totally stupid thing to say...

This guy has made millions. I wrote my ode to him below. I am rather disappointed that so many here in one way or the other defended every snide thing he said in the appearance.

Welcome back, Carville, we love you.

[Eric J in MN]

70. I can oppose Carville over his Howard Dean remarks...

...but still say so when I think he's being misinterpreted.

[ShotInTheDark]

53. Does anyone else think that mediocrity and no kumbaya

are mutually exclusive goals?

Or to put it another way, if our representatives cut out the touchy-feely "let's try to listen to and please everyone crap," then it would enable these weaker members of the party to rise out of the depths of mediocrity?

[AZBlue]

59. I have to agree with the "no kumbayah crap" wholeheartedly!

eom

[LittleClarkie]

61. Well, I think I see what he means about being right. You can be right, and that's good

but if you're goal was to also be president, then being right sometimes also makes you a pariah. It's the consequence of being a prophet sometimes. Prophets aren't always popular. But that shouldn't stop them from speaking truth.

But it seems Carville's main goal is not to be right so much as win. I imagine it was the same mindset that had Bill Clinton advising Kerry to come out in favor of DOMA. Kerry, like Dean, had to much integrity for that.

[Casablanca]

62. Carville, patron saint of mediocrity and Salieri to Dean's Mozart.

[Casablanca]

64. Carville, the definition of the self-hating Democrat.

"“Sometimes the problem with being a Democrat is being a Democrat,” he said."

"If Democrats try to single out every issue, they’re back to litany, Carville said."

Litanies like "we don't go there" when the issue of election machine hacking is brought up.

[madfloridian]

65. Ok, then...my paean for Carville

Carville won this round. He stood in front of a group of college students, mimicked Kerry, had words to say about Gore that implied that being smart did not win...

"Using Al Gore as an example, Carville said being a smart candidate is not enough.

“It’s actually possible to be wise, right and strong,” he said".

(Actually Gore was wise right and strong.)?

Said Dean was too right about the war. Right too often.

Advocating not appealing to various groups...appeared to advocate against affirmative action.

"At a speech sponsored by the Northwestern College Democrats Thursday evening, Carville told the audience that Democratic candidates can’t succeed by shouting out to every group in a crowd. Instead candidates should tell stories with the three elements of any good story — setup, conflict and resolution.

“No Kumbayah crap,” Carville said."

Amazing how many agree with that statement. This is just like Kos's crap about "one-issue" people.

And this is hyperbole, plain and simple...it is such an exaggeration.
It really is insulting.

"In the same way that intelligence and accuracy can’t stand alone, strength without accuracy is a catastrophe, he said. His example: the Republican administration.

“If we just had mediocracy I’d be the happiest person in the world,” Carville said. “You put political hacks in an important position and there are consequences.”

Oh, and yes, he is right about political hacks....he should know, he is one. And most of this thread is nodding in agreement with him.

I find that shocking.

Go Carville, you are loved here. Welcome back to DU.

[madfloridian]

69. Oh, and I forgot his yelling and imitating Kerry. Really classy.

"At NU Carville focused on what Democrats need to do to reclaim the presidency. The vocal impressions of President George W. Bush and former presidential candidate John Kerry and Carville’s bouts of shouting in his southern accent had the audience alternatively giggling and freezing in silence."

Welcome back, Carville, DU loves you lots. Even the students you were insulting with your imitations knew you crossed the limits, and they froze in silence.

Those students knew more than some here do, that you were being insulting to good men.

[tnlefty]

66. hahaha...being mediocre is what I've always told my sons to aspire to!

What a loon! So I suppose being right about something as important as WAR, but sitting down and shutting up instead of trying to warn people and lead them to a better way is preferable - he's a fuggin' idiot. My head is spinning.

I haven't sung Kumbayahh since I was a young girl in Girl Scout's camp at Camp Adahi, but perhaps another round is in order: Someone's a big, bald idiot, Lord, Kumbayah, Oh, Lord...Kumbayha.

He really needs to STFU.

[sandnsea]

67. How to win the American Loser vote

Don't be the smart kid in school that everybody loves to hate. And whatever you do, don't ever fucking GROW UP. Gads.

[madfloridian]

74. Carville pleased these bloggers...

with his speech there. They seem to get the sense I did that he espouses being tepid on issues...that it is good.

These blogs got it. They loved Carville's lecturing the "lefties" as they call them. Well, actually I notice that many seen to think that anyone with an issue is a "lefty." Anyone who believes we should stand for something is a "lefty."

http://editorials.arrivenet.com/politics/article.php/6224.html

"Carville accented more and more that Dems simply cannot hope to win an election by reiterating their negatives. They are against this and that and this and that. All of us are laden enough with trials daily that we don’t need a potential leader telling us emphatically — holler style — that everything in the country is wrong.

We Republicans have realized that weakness in the Dems, surely so. That is why we have more pity for them than applause. They simply don’t connect, except to kill off everything they touch.

Dems kill off womb babies, traditional definitions of family, marriage and sex. They kill off masculinity and femininity. They kill of America’s Judeo-Christian heritage and all the morality attended to that history. They kill off freedom spread around the globe with their constant despair. And they kill off their chances to be known as patriots by supporting Muslim murderers global via the likes of Cindy Sheehan.

Who in a right mind then would want to be a Dem?

That’s why we can sympathize with Carville when he stated to the college students: “Sometimes the problem with being a Democrat is being a Democrat.”

True."

Who wants people like this agreeing with a Democratic strategist? Something is wrong with this picture.

http://blogcritics.org/archives/2005/10/09/090912.php

"In case anyone missed it, that's c-r-a-p, and as Carville knows, it constitutes the bulk of leftist rhetoric online. Carville also reiterated one of our favorite maxims: A candidate who runs an incompetent campaign would only have been an incompetent elected official. One who is listening is Insults Unpunished, a centrist breath of fresh air which critiques both sides, while searching for pragmatic ways to help the Dems along: "...it seems that the Democrats are trying to fight something with nothing. They're a party bereft of ideas... With all of the infighting going on among Republicans these days, it's worth remembering that the Democrats aren't exactly sitting pretty. They managed to smother some of the worst apsects of Cindy Sheehan — like the fact that she hates her own country, based on her own statements — but the base that they have is small and their views are not too popular."

I don't want this one agreeing with Carville's words either. He gave ammunition to the other side.

And this week's little stunt by Carville has given the Free Republic and other sites so much fun. That's what makes me angry.

This guy has hurt our party with his words many times. He attacked our Democrats on Crossfire during an election...he and Begala. They called Dean crazy many times, called Gore a zombie, and I don't even know what they said about others.

They never have to apologize, no one ever called them on their bullshit either.

They are on the Gravy Train.
http://journals.democraticunderground.com/madfloridian/93

[mtnsnake]

76. Did Carville refuse to sign an autograph for you once or something?

[madfloridian]

78. That's just silly.

You are getting very obvious about these statements. Your question is demeaning to me and to you.