2020 Gumbo Final - Book - Page 50
Professor
Politics
Story: Katherine Manuel
Photo: LSU Manship School of Mass Communication
Design: Mariah Graham
P
48
LSU Professor and former Clinton adviser
James Carville, featured at 2019 Politicon
oliticon is an annual political convention
that has been “entertaining democracy”
for five years. The “unconventional political
convention” is nonpartisan and provides its
attendees with a weekend full of panels,
debates, Q&A’s, podcasts and book signings.
Speakers at the 2019 convention included
political commentator Tomi Lahren, former FBI
Director James Comey, political commentator
Sean Hannity, former White House Press
Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders, Carville
and other professionals in politics.
Many of the talks and panels given at the
2019 Politicon can be accessed on Politicon’s
website as podcasts.
Carville, a University and LSU Law Center
graduate, is known as “The Ragin’ Cajun.”
He successfully worked on Bill Clinton’s first
presidential campaign as a senior political
adviser in 1992, and has managed many
Democratic campaigns within the U.S. Carville
taught at Tulane University in New Orleans for
nine years.
He currently teaches a class within the
Manship School about American Politics, and
encourages his students to be curious about
politics.
Carville has been involved with Politicon
since it began in 2015; he has interviewed
former governor of Alaska and vice
presidential candidate Sarah Palin and political
commentator Tucker Carlson at past Politicon
conventions.
At the 2019 convention, Carville discussed
politics with both Hannity and Sanders, and
also participated in a panel discussion about
the Democratic Party.
Carville’s discussion with Hannity, titled “Point
Counterpoint,” occurred on the first day of
the convention. Topics discussed in “Point
Counterpoint” included the impeachment
of President Trump, the 2020 presidential
election and opinions of Trump.
“The first thing is, this is the weakest president
we have ever had in American history,” Carville
said. “No one cares what he says. For sure,
the Democrats don’t care. They’re going to
impeach him. You cannot instill any discipline
unless you have fear. No one is scared of
Donald Trump.”
Carville also told Hannity President Trump
“reeks weakness,” partly because he has the
weakest polling numbers of any president in
American history.
Carville also participated in a meet-and-greet
session on the first day of the convention.
On the second day of Politicon, Carville
interviewed Sanders and was featured
in a panel discussion called “What Now
Democrats?” about the Democratic Party. He
said this panel was his favorite aspect of the
weekend.
Carville said Politicon is a great opportunity
for University students interested in politics to
learn and network.
“It’s good for networking, people see your
face.” Carville said. “Plus, it’s interesting. I love
politics.”
“The thing you have to be is curious. How can
you not be?” Carville said. “How can you live
in this country and not be curious about what’s
going on? It’s pretty evident that these are
some different times.”