It's About The Middle Class

James Carville and Stan Greenberg on Election 2012. Money. Power. And the battle over America’s battered middle class.

James Carville was the “Ragin’ Cajun” political strategist who pushed through Bill Clinton’s “it’s the economy stupid” White House victory in 1992.  Stan Greenberg is the Democratic pollster who digs in deep on what Americans really want and feel.

And right now Carville and Greenberg are both waving their arms and shouting about the American middle class.  It’s dying, they say, and we’re not America without it.  Romney talks” big economy,” they say.  Obama too, until recently.  But the winning way they say, is a laser focus on the middle.

This hour, On Point:  James Carville, Stan Greenberg, and the blazing crisis of the American middle class.
-Tom Ashbrook

James Carville, political consultant, attorney, and prominent liberal pundit. He's co-author of the new book It's the Middle Class, Stupid!

Stan Greenberg, Democratic pollster and political strategist who has advised the campaigns of Bill Clinton, Al Gore, and John Kerry. He's co-author of the new book It's the Middle Class, Stupid!

ABC News "Democratic strategists James Carville and Stan Greenberg have a message for the Obama campaign: Stop trying to convince voters that the last four years have been good for them, and start talking about what you are going to do in the next four years to make the economy and their lives better."

Talking Points Memo "In a series of memos and media appearances last month, several Democrats fretted that the campaign was bungling its economic message by trying to persuade people that the economy is actually improving, rather than sympathizing with their troubles."

Politico "In their forthcoming book, “It’s the Middle Class, Stupid!” Democratic strategists James Carville and Stan Greenberg lay out both a harsh critique of Republican fiscal policies and a groundwork for Democratic economic proposals and, as you might expect, it’s Carville who comes out swinging with some of the most colorful language. Here are the book’s best quotes."

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