Sen. John Kerry's presidential campaign failed because it lacked a narrative telling voters what the candidate was for and against, Democratic political strategist James Carville said Wednesday.
President Bush's re-election campaign had a narrative that was successful, though not necessarily accurate, Carville told a crowd of about 250 students and faculty at Robert Morris University the day after the president's re-election over the Massachusetts senator.
"What they did was not accurate, and disingenuous, but they did it and, for the moment, got away with it," said Carville, co-host of "Crossfire" on CNN. Carville led Robert Casey's 1986 successful bid for Pennsylvania governor following three failed campaigns, followed by Bill Clinton's successful 1992 presidential campaign.
Kerry lost the election despite raising a lot of money, claiming victory in all three debates and having waged the campaign "in the middle of a disastrous war and a soft economy," Carville said during a half-hour talk frequently punctuated by one-liners aimed at Republicans.
Republicans, Carville said, did a good job convincing Americans not to worry about Social Security but to worry instead that two guys down the street might get married.
Kerry's campaign slogan -- "Stronger at Home, Respected in the World" -- was a good one but needed to be expanded into a narrative, he said.
"We need to stand up to something, for something, and if you do that, you look strong," he said in response to an audience member who asked how Democrats could counter the perception that they don't stand for values. "We've got to raise some issues here, raise hell."
The defeat of Senate Minority Leader Tom Daschle, of South Dakota, was a huge loss for the party, and the first time since 1952 a Senate leader lost a bid for re-election, Carville said. Democrats still have enough members to filibuster in the Senate but have no power in the House of Representatives, he said.
He would not say whether he expects New York Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton to be the party's presidential candidate in 2008, saying only it's a possibility.
"I think she's going to be a major player in the party, obviously, as she well should," he said.
Carville spoke later at Heinz Hall as part of Robert Morris' Pittsburgh Speakers Series.
