Veteran Democratic strategist and long-time President Donald Trump gadfly James Carville refused to join the crowd calling the victories of Trump-endorsed candidates in South Carolina and Oklahoma a “win for Trump’ considering how close the call came in the wee hours.
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“In the Republican primaries in South Carolina and Oklahoma, they played it as a big Trump win, and I don’t understand it,” said Carville, griping on his Wednesday Politics War Room podcast. “I was so taken aback. Who am I to be the arbiter or whatever, but man, when you get 50.5 in a Republican primary in SC and the guy that got 49.5 attacks you and the crowd breaks out wildly cheering, or in Oklahoma, and they barely won, I just don’t see it.”
Sen. Darline Graham (R-SC) won her South Carolina Senate primary campaign against Rep. Ralph Norman (R-SC) on Tuesday, officially winning a full term in the seat once held by her brother, the late Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC). During the campaign Trump endorsed her during her campaign, and she vowed to staunchly support him in a full Senate term throughout the campaign.
Graham also refused to deny Trump’s ongoing Big Lie that the 2020 presidential election was stolen from him.
But the final tally Tuesday night showed Graham with 52.5 percent of the nearly 369,000 total votes cast. Her 5 percentage-point lead over U.S. Rep. Ralph Norman represented little more than 18,000 people.
“We’re told by all of the people that ‘Trump rolls again. He’s rolling, Trump. He falls down and lands on his feet.’ I don’t buy that,” said Carville, who called the election a “terrible” night for Trump considering his near misses. “I’m seeing one thing and Peter Baker with the New York Times is talking something else. Usually, I can understand where they’re coming from, but I have no understanding of their take on this election.”
Carville’s co-host Al Hunt said Graham’s stuttering popularity means she might be “headed for a possible loss” against her Democratic opponent pediatrician Annie Andrews in the general election.
To be sure, Graham will be favored given South Carolina’s solid red lean, and Democrats haven’t won a Senate seat in the Palmetto State since 1998. However, Trump’s polls are plummeting all over the nation, prompting many solid Republican voters to stay home.
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Plus, facing off against a candidate whose inexperience has become a key issue in the minds of many voters has given Democrats rare optimism for that state.
Republican-aligned networks were scrambling recently to clean up the apparent ignorance of Graham, after her humiliating gaffe at an interview.
“Are Taiwan and the south China Sea national security issues for the United States, and if so, why or how?” asked a host.
But Graham answered: “I’m just going to be honest here. I’m not on national security, that I’m not that informed on national security. So—but I do support the military.”
With that kind of ignorance, Carville suggested Graham avoid debating her Democratic opponent “because she’s too stupid,” with international dialogue and other issues.
He added that Democrats could easily “hammer that home” before a live audience.
“She’s does good work with handicapped people but she’s a dumb as concrete,” Carville told Hunt.
“Darline will not take up that [debate] officer,” predicted Hunt, because she knows this.
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