Carville kicks off MSE lineup

"The State of American Politics" was the topic of discussion for political strategist James Carville, who spoke in Shriver Hall this past Thursday as the first speaker of the 2005 Milton S. Eisenhower Symposium.

Carville is noted for having masterminded Bill Clinton's 1992 presidential campaign; he has also worked as a political commentator on CNN's "The Situation Room," and he formerly co-hosted CNN's Crossfire.

Carville's presentation featured a mock speech that he pinpointed as the message that he felt needs to be articulated when a Democrat accepts the office of president in 2008.

Carville's speech criticized the current condition of America but remained hopeful about the future.

"We've lost allies, we've lost the $5.6 trillion deficit, we've even lost an American city. ... But one thing we have not lost: We retain the spirit of this country, we retain the most creative people on Earth," he said.

"I'm calling on a New Patriotism for a new America."

Religious faith, predominantly Christian faith, would be essential to this New Patriotism, Carville said.

He asserted that the wisdom of the Old and New Testaments is relevant to the modern practice of com-passionate government in America.

Referencing the biblical story of the brothers Cain and Abel, he said,"We are, in essence, our brothers' keeper."

In a remark which brought cheers and applause from the crowd, Carville said that his "New Patriotism" would include an end to the "war on science" which, he asserted, is being waged by the Bush administration.

In its place, he said, he would launch a new "war on global warming" and a "war for energy independence."

Carville also demanded greater personal responsibility from the poor, urging poor teenagers to "stay in school longer and get pregnant less."

Carville concluded his description of "New Patriotism" with a call for sacrifice from ordinary Americans.

He cited former President John F. Kennedy's statement, "Ask not what your country can do for you -- ask what you can do for your country" from his 1961 inaugural address.

One sacrifice that Carville suggested requested that the public accept the need the work longer before retirement and include smaller cost-of-living increases in Social Security for the sake of the country.

A native of Louisiana, Carville touched on the subject of Hurricane Katrina's impact on the city of New Orleans frequently during his speech.

He said, "The city that [my wife and I] lived in, the city that we chose to get married in, is underwater."

Carville expressed his appreciation to Johns Hopkins and remarked that he was visiting "a campus where the average IQ is higher than my SAT."

Student reactions to the Carville speech were largely positive, and audience members crowded into a post-speech reception hosted in Shriver Hall's Clipper Room.

"James Carville is the most influential Democratic strategist of our time," sophomore Diane Hoskins said.

The rest of the 2005 MSE Symposium's slate of speakers includes Kate Michelman, the former president of NARAL Pro-Choice America; Frank Newport, editor-in-chief of the Gallup Polls; and Neal Baer, the executive producer of Law and Order.

Michelman will address Hopkins on Oct. 9 pm on the subject of grass-roots campaigns.