James Carville and Paul Begala: How to Keep Putting People First
Why Am I Telling You This? with Bill ClintonShow Notes
Successful political candidates—and more importantly, successful leaders—need to have a vision and a message that lets everyone see themselves as part of our shared future. James Carville and Paul Begala have been as good at crafting those messages as anyone in modern day politics. In the 1992 Clinton/Gore campaign, they helped give voice to Bill Clinton’s policy proposals which put people first and resonated with voters across every demographic—building an inclusive economy; expanding access to quality, affordable health care; improving education at every level and opening the doors to higher education to all; and protecting our natural resources. As a result, Bill Clinton became the first Democratic president in six decades to be elected twice; led the U.S. to the longest economic expansion in our history, including the creation of more than 22 million jobs; and signed into law programs that are still helping Americans today, like the Family and Medical Leave Act, AmeriCorps, and the mapping of the Human Genome, which led to breakthroughs in medicine including the COVID-19 vaccine. Although the political and media landscapes are constantly changing, James and Paul are still two of the most sought-after strategists and commentators. On this episode of the podcast, James and Paul join President Clinton to share stories from their lives in politics, analyze the current landscape, and discuss how we can continue to make the case for a more inclusive America.
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