Political strategists James Carville and Mary Matalin, the left/right Odd Couple of D.C. punditry who now reside in New Orleans, agree on one thing: the Democrats are headed for a political “hurricane” on Nov. 2. The only question now, they concur, is whether the storm will be a Category 5, a Category 4 or a Category 3.
The polls a month ago predicted a Category 5 for the Dems, the couple who’ve been married since 1993 believe, and today–about a month before the election–it’s probably a Category 4. “If it turns out to be a 5, that means you’re totally wiped out,” Carville explained at a luncheon in Dallas today. “If it’s a 3 it’s bad, but the structure will still be standing.”
So what, somebody asked Carville, would a 5 actually mean? “Hello, Sen. O’Donnell,” cracked the former adviser to Bill Clinton, referring to tea-party favorite Christine O’Donnell in Delaware. And a 3? Replied Carville: “Hi, Gov. White.” Carville and Matalin, a former adviser to George W. and Dick Cheney, were interviewed by John C. Goodman, president and CEO of the National Center for Policy Analysis, at the Hilton Anatole.
