James Carville says Democrats are losing support among men due to 'preachy females' who drive the party's culture: 'The message is too feminine'

• James Carville told the Times that "preachy females" have chased some men from the Democratic Party.
• "The message is too feminine," he told Times columnist Maureen Dowd.

In a freewheeling conversation with New York Times columnist Maureen Dowd, longtime Democratic strategist James Carville suggested that the party's struggles with male voters are driven by "preachy females" who aren't speaking to their concerns.

Carville, from Louisiana and a onetime strategist for Bill Clinton's 1992 presidential campaign, rarely — if ever — bites his tongue when it comes to politics. And as he spoke to Dowd in New Orleans, he remarked on what he said was a party that was alienating a key bloc of the electorate ahead of a tough election for the incumbent, President Joe Biden.

"A suspicion of mine is that there are too many preachy females" influencing the party's direction, Carville told Dowd.

"'Don't drink beer. Don't watch football. Don't eat hamburgers. This is not good for you,'" he said, describing a sort of condescension he believes has turned away some male voters from the Democratic Party.

"The message is too feminine: 'Everything you're doing is destroying the planet. You've got to eat your peas,'" he added.

Carville, who resides in a state where roughly a third of the population is Black, has also focused on the party's performance with Black men who have become an electoral target for former President Donald Trump in the fall. Recent polls have shown the Republican making gains with Black voters, which could swing the election.

During his talk with Dowd, Carville argued that party leadership was elevating the influence of women within the party at the expense of male voters.

"If you listen to Democratic elites — NPR is my go-to place for that — the whole talk is about how women, and women of color, are going to decide this election," he said. "I'm like: 'Well, 48% of the people that vote are males. Do you mind if they have some consideration?'"

Carville in recent months has thrown up flares for his party, pointing to voter concerns about Biden's age and the low approval ratings that continue to imperil the president's reelection bid.

"When I look at these polling numbers, it's like walking in on your grandma naked," he said. "You can't get the image out of your mind."

In the latest Gallup presidential survey released last week, Biden posted a 40% job approval rating.

But despite Carville's concerns about Biden's campaign, he had nothing but praise for the president's character.

"I actually like Biden. He's a tenacious guy that's had a real life," he continued. "He's a state school guy. He doesn't have an iota of elitism."