Introduction
The Lesson of the Transgender Amendment
The only time anyone ever calls me "smart" is when it's paired with the word "mouth." Such is my lot in life. I've seen my speeches called "fanatical ravings," "foam-at-the-mouth rants," and -- my favorite--"scattershot barrages of verbal silage." One editorial went so far as to talk about a national "poverty of spirit induced by... James Carville's mouth."
The supposed power of my mouth got me to thinking. If my mouth can induce a national poverty of spirit, maybe it could help me test a growing concern I've been having about the Democratic Party.
You see, there are a lot of allegations made against Democrats that are complete and total BS -- we burn American flags for sport, we'd make America's military look like France's in World War II if given the chance, we never met a government program we didn't like, we coddle criminals. The list goes on and on. We're going to put the lie to those spurious, ridiculous claims in the following pages.
To be honest, there is one charge made of the Democratic Party that makes me wince. It is that the Democratic Party as we know it has become more of an accumulation of interest groups than a national party with something concrete to offer the entire American public. How can this be? How can the party that won two world wars, rebuilt Europe, fought for civil rights, created Social Security and Medicare, gave us a cleaner environment, and built the strongest economic engine the world has ever seen be wincing at the accusation that we don't have something to offer all Americans? I didn't want to believe it. So I decided to use this mouth of mine to test it out.
I chose as my focus group a large gathering of Democrats at an annual dinner in a state that shall remain nameless. I stepped up to the podium, looked out at the crowd, and started them off with a little joke:
"You know, back in 2000 a Republican friend of mine warned me that if I voted for Al Gore and he won, the stock market would tank, we'd lose millions of jobs, and our military would be totally overstretched. You know what: I did vote for Al Gore, he did win, and I'll be damned if all those things didn't come true."
Then I got a little serious.
"This is truly a historic time. But historic doesn't necessarily mean good. With the exception of one brief year, this is the first time since Eisenhower was president that we do not hold power in the Senate, the House, or the executive branch.
"Look anywhere and you'll find a statistic or story about how bad this is for average Americans. I can only see the slimmest of silver linings here, and it is that America will finally see what we all know -- that when you look at a right-wing agenda that is unvarnished, untempered by moderation, amendment, or debate, and fundamentally unstoppable, it's pretty damn scary."
I saw some heads beginning to nod, and I continued on:
"What do you do in the face of such an agenda? Well, for starters, you quit sniping about the little things that divide Democrat from Democrat, progressive from progressive, even centrist from liberal. You know the difference between a Democrat and a cannibal? Cannibals don't eat their own. Stop chewing on each other, and start chewing on the people who deserve it."
There was some laughter and applause, and I started to get comfortable.
"They are trying to make big, bad changes to this country, changes that will fundamentally alter the role of government and the shape of our nation for years if not generations to come. We're not going to stop this steamroller by putting pebbles in its path. We need to be unified and disciplined and visionary and smart."
More nodding heads and a hum of murmured uh-huhs.
"We shouldn't be afraid to agree when we can and compromise if it's in America's interest. But they've got to know, and you've got to be ready, because some things are only gonna get settled in a fight."
I was getting good and lathered.
"We have got to tell America what we are for, as well as what we are against. In 1992, we came together and, against the odds, we won. It was a big victory, and made a mighty big difference for this country. All those promises we made -- about a smaller, smarter government, about an economy that gives people a chance to succeed, about investing in the talents of the American people -- we kept 'em. And eight years and twenty million new jobs, the lowest unemployment rate, the highest home ownership rate in history, the lowest crime rate, reduced welfare rolls, and the first balanced budget in decades later -- I'll put our record against anybody's. Heck, so many people did so well under the Clinton-Gore economy that we created a pretty decent number of Republicans."
A few people in the crowd said, "Amen to that."
"Now we've got to come together again. We've got to come together for a strong economy that allows people to earn a decent living. We need schools that give the children the skills they need to get the jobs of tomorrow... and to guarantee a retirement of dignity after a lifetime of work."
Applause.
"We stand for clean air to breathe, clean water to drink, and a clean government that gives a damn."
More applause.
"Whether it's women's rights, or civil rights, or workers' rights, we are the only party that speaks to the hopes of all Americans."
Then just when I had them whipped into a good frenzy, I hit them with it. "And I'll be got-damned if we are going to let them stop us from passing the transgender amendment."
Cheers and applause. People were out of their seats. It was thunderous.
There's only one problem. There is no transgender amendment. I don't even know what would be in a transgender amendment.
That's when it really hit me. People went wild because it sounded like something Democrats are for. I almost felt guilty. After all, it wasn't that audience's fault for being gullible. It was our fault for sounding like a party that is a sum of different things targeted to different groups. Maybe someday someone will write a transgender amendment -- and we will stand for it. But we need to stand for more than that.
Let's hold up right there for a second. You picked up this book because you wanted someone to kick the ever-living piss out of George W. Bush, not just be another self-hating Democrat. Don't worry, you won't be disappointed. Beating up on George W. Bush is like being a mosquito at a nudist colony -- the only question is where to start. But this book isn't (just) about how much I hate the president, his cronies and what they're doing to this country -- it's about how much I love America, how much I love the Democratic Party, and the things we need to do to make both stronger.
Copyright © 2003 by James Carville
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Have you had enough of George W. Bush and the Republican right? Are you sick and tired of the tax-cutting, environment-desecrating, secret-keeping, influence-peddling, war-mongering, free speech-hating hypocrites who occupy America's halls of power? If so, you have company--James Carville. Like James Carville, America has been bruised and battered by the Republicans who are running our country and running it into the ground. The Bush administration has squandered a five-trillion-dollar surplus and created a five-trillion-dollar projected deficit. Their tax cut for the rich was supposed to create jobs--but instead America has lost more than three million of them. This administration was supposed to bring honor and dignity to the White House but instead brought lies, leaks, secrecy, and fear. They promised to make the country stronger and safer but instead they've left us overstretched, isolated, and insecure. And Carville has had enough. In Had Enough? the legendary political adviser comes out of his corner swinging, taking on the Bush White House and the Republican leaders in Congress on every front--from the economy to education to foreign affairs. But he doesn't just attack; he lays out constructive "had enough" solutions for healing the damage done by the Republicans and helping disheartened Democrats get back on their feet. In addition, he offers "Ten Rules for Progressives to Live By" and a new War Room mantra for a new era. Had Enough? is a rousing handbook for taking back the country, for fighting back the right wing, and for returning the power to the people.
