Democratic strategist James Carville heavily criticized Kamala Harris’ 2024 campaign, focusing on its extraordinary spending and potential financial mismanagement.

Key points include:

  1. Campaign Spending: Harris’ campaign reportedly spent $1.5 billion during its brief 15-week run, which Carville described as causing “almost unfathomable” damage to the Democratic brand.

  2. Financial Controversies:

  • The campaign spent $900,000 advertising on the Las Vegas Sphere
  • Sources claim the campaign was $20 million in debt after the election (though the campaign denies this)
  • A related super PAC, Future Forward, reportedly raised over $900 million
  1. Carville’s Recommendations:
  • Called for a comprehensive audit of the campaign
  • Wants to audit the campaign, Future Forward, and the Democratic National Committee (DNC)
  • Expressed frustration about the lack of transparency regarding where the money was spent
  1. Broader Impact: Carville suggested the campaign’s financial practices have disillusioned Democratic fundraisers, who are now “burnt” and “really pissed.”

The strategist is known for his work on Bill Clinton’s 1992 presidential campaign.

“That’s two and a half frickin’ billion dollars. Do you have any idea where this money went? Does anybody have any idea where that money went?” said Carville, while looping in his $1 billion figure to the reported $1.5 billion in spending.

  • jordanlund@lemmy.world
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    3 days ago

    $1.5 billion in 15 weeks.

    14,285,714.29 a day.

    1,785,714.29 every hour of an 8 hour workday.

    This goes to show, yet again, that money alone can’t buy an election.

  • winterayars
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    3 days ago

    I’d like to hear the specifics of what the thinks Harris did wrong. Does he think it’s all the fault of the blacks and the queers? This dude has had an inside track for decades, he’s almost certainly part of the problem not the solution.

  • njm1314@lemmy.world
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    3 days ago

    Real smashingly astute observation there Jimmy. You mind telling about who’s going to win the 2023 NBA championship?

    • Snowclone@lemmy.world
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      3 days ago

      If you pay attention to politics, you’ll learn real quick no one has a crystal ball, and the really don’t know what could happen, just what happened before. We needed a left wing populist two presidents ago, neo liberal status quo really isn’t doing it against fascist populism.

      • mydude@lemmy.world
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        3 days ago

        The exploitation class will not allow it, and a president does not have incentive to cross them. So, the homeless will stay homeless, the struggle will continue. Nothing will change until the people rise up and demand it!

        “Power concedes nothing without a demand. It never did and it never will.”

    • MutilationWave@lemmy.world
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      3 days ago

      He’s fucking smart and he may be the reason Bill got his first term back in the day. The thing is he knows what side his bread is buttered on-and it’s the neoliberal side.

      He’s not an oracle. I like his demands for audits, but it’s like demanding for audits of the Weimar Republic after Hitler took power.

  • sunzu2@thebrainbin.org
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    3 days ago

    Many DNC operatives made a killing grifting.

    But I ain’t gonna cry about them fleecing donors.

    They deserve each other, sadly plebs get fucked

    • scarabine@lemmynsfw.com
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      3 days ago

      Dude was on board and backing up the vehement “hug a Republican” crowd. This is just his self preservation instinct kicking in. He knows he fucked up and wants to distance himself.

  • FlashMobOfOne@lemmy.world
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    3 days ago

    I said it before and I’ll say it again.

    Don’t donate to politicians. Instead, put that money in stocks. Your money will absolutely get some measure of representation in Washington whereas you the person probably will not.

  • AwkwardLookMonkeyPuppet@lemmy.world
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    3 days ago

    That’s an insane amount of money to get a job that pays $400k per year.

    For all of that spending, I never saw a single ad from her, or if I did, they were completely forgettable. I did see trump ads at every commercial break during the World Series though.

    • FlashMobOfOne@lemmy.world
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      3 days ago

      That’s an insane amount of money to get a job that pays $400k per year.

      When you blatantly monetize the presidency, it makes a hell of a lot more than $400k a year. Hell, Trump literally sold the Resolute Desk to Goya for ad space.

      I wish we had a way of knowing what McDonald’s is paying him for all of these recent social media posts.