With the first debate of the 2024 Presidential election on tap for tonight, both President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump will be trying to navigate their way to swaying undecided and independent voters in a fully unscripted setting.
Political strategist James Carville joined Newell Normand on WWL Radio to break down what that plan of persuasion could look like for two men who have spent decades in the public eye.
“New information is the best information,” Carville said. “The public thinks they have 100% knowledge of these candidates. Any time you can add a new twist to that, it can help you or hurt you.”
Carville said Biden needs to inform people of more recent quality of life improvements they may not be aware of that have occurred under his watch.
“Most people don’t realize that the crime rate in the United States is dropping at a historic rate,” he said. “You’ve got to tell them that. If you say, ‘Donald Trump has 34 felonies,’ everyone knows that. That’s not gonna do you any good. But if you say, ‘He’s been credibly accused by 26 different women of molesting them, that’s a new piece of information.”
As far as Trump goes, Carville said he needs to find places to gain ground outside of his most hardcore supporters.
“People like the MAGA base are 1,000% behind him. They’re hard behind him,” he said. “That’s not enough. MAGA alone is not enough.
Colorado just had the Presidential primary. Nikki Haley got 30% of the vote.
She got 22% in Nebraska, another 22% in Indiana.”
Carville also noted that where Trump is concerned, there always remains a chance for the unexpected.
“I think there’s a 20% chance he just walks off the stage,” he said of the Republican candidate. “He’ll just say, ‘Oh, this whole thing’s rigged.’ Who knows what he’s going to do. He’s always been a real wild card.”
The Presidential debate takes place tonight at 8pm. You can hear it in its entirety on WWL Radio. You can also hear the whole interview with Carville by clicking the link above.