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<\/a>James Carville lived up to his \u201cRagin’ Cajun\u201d moniker during his appearance in the Jesup Scott Honors College Distinguished Lecture Series.<\/p><\/div>Carville, who is perhaps best noted for his role helping elect William Jefferson Clinton to the U.S. presidency in 1992, offered those reasons and encouraged young people to overcome them in a lighthearted talk Nov. 18 as the second guest in the Jesup Scott Honors College Lecture Series at The University of Toledo.<\/P><\/p>\n
If Mitt Romney had broken even in three specific urban counties in the 2012 presidential election, he would have defeated Barack Obama, Carville said, adding that where we live and where we draw congressional districts are important factors in elections.<\/p>\n
Carville identified a certain percentage of what he called \u201capocalyptic declinists\u201d \u2014 those who instead of saying, \u201cmy opinion is better than yours,\u201d jump ahead to say that the other person\u2019s view is destructive to the very fabric of the nation.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf you believe that, how do you compromise?\u201d Carville asked rhetorically.<\/p>\n
The proliferation of information in the 24\/7 news media makes it too easy to only get your news from a liberal or conservative source that you agree with, rather than trying to use that information to do your research, he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cDon’t go through life looking to be validated. Go through life looking to be enlightened,\u201d Carville said.<\/p>\n
A professor of practice at Tulane University in New Orleans, Carville said he tells his students, \u201cIt\u2019s not important what I think. It\u2019s important that you think.\u201d<\/p>\n
Carville argued that America has certainly seen darker days, such as the year 1862 during the Civil War. But something good came out of that when a Vermont congressman proposed and advocated for the Land-Grant Colleges Act, which was signed into law by President Abraham Lincoln. The morals, according to Carville, it\u2019s never a bad time to invest in young people or the future.<\/p>\n
\u201cDon\u2019t let the doomsayers and the naysayers have the final say,\u201d he said. \u201cYou have the final say.\u201d<\/p>\n
Carville answered a number of questions submitted to the Jesup Scott Honors College Twitter account, @UTHonors, including whether he has ever considered running for office himself.<\/p>\n
After a quick succession of no\u2019s, Carville joked, \u201cI wouldn\u2019t vet well\u201d and \u201cMy kids don\u2019t need to know everything.\u201d<\/p>\n
Carville\u2019s guess on the candidates to be nominated? Scott Walker and Hilary Clinton.
\nWould Condoleezza Rice be nominated by the Republican Party? No. What about another Bush? It\u2019s possible.<\/p>\n
Advice for aspiring politicians? Be ready to fail publicly, be ambitious, and make what you do matter be your reward. <\/p>\n
\u201cIf you want to go into politics and you don\u2019t like people, it\u2019s not going to be very happy,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
Carville is the second guest in the Honors College Distinguished Lecture Series. Education innovator Salman Khan, the founder of Khan Academy, spoke in September. <\/p>\n
Still to come will be business strategy expert Richard Rumelt Monday, Jan. 13, and Arizona State University President Michael Crow Monday, March 10.<\/p>\n