Project 240: An Evening with James Carville and Mary Matalin

Join us for what promises to be an unforgettable evening with two of America’s most widely respected political consultants and pundits. Coming just before the National Election Candidate Debates portion of our PROJECT 240 Series, James and his wife Mary will share penetrating insights into this highly charged and unusual national election season.

Louisiana native James Carville is one of America’s best known political strategists, having steered a number of overlooked campaigns to unexpected landslide victories. His most prominent victory was in 1992 when he helped William Jefferson Clinton win the Presidency.

Mary Matalin is one of the most celebrated and popular conservative voices in America today and is a widely sought after political contributor, pundit and public speaker. She has served under President Ronald Reagan, was George H. W. Bush’s Campaign Director, was an assistant to President George W. Bush and as assistant and counselor to Vice President Dick Cheney became the first White House official to hold that double title.

ABOUT JAMES CARVILLE

James “The Ragin’ Cajun” Carville is America’s best-known political consultant. His long list of electoral successes evidences a knack for steering overlooked campaigns to unexpected landslide victories and for re-making political underdogs into upset winners.

His winning streak began in 1986, when he managed the gubernatorial victory of Robert Casey in Pennsylvania. In 1987, Carville helped guide Wallace Wilkinson to the governor’s seat in Kentucky. Carville continued his winning streak in New Jersey when he helped Frank Lautenberg get elected to the U.S. Senate. He next managed the successful 1990 gubernatorial campaign of Georgia’s Lieutenant Governor Zell Miller, including a tough primary win over Atlanta mayor Andrew Young. Then, in 1991, Carville—who had already become prominent in political circles—drew national attention when he led Senator Harris Wofford from forty points behind in the polls to an upset landslide victory over former Pennsylvania Governor and U.S. Attorney General Richard Thornburgh. But, his most prominent victory was in 1992 when he helped William Jefferson Clinton win the Presidency. 

In recent years, Carville has focused his strategic thinking on guiding international campaigns—reaching more than 23 countries around the globe. 

James Carville is also a best-selling author, actor, producer, talk-show host and speaker. His titles include It’s The Middle Class Stupid!; All’s Fair: Love, War, and Running for President (with wife Mary Matalin); We’re Right, They’re Wrong: A Handbook for Spirited Progressives; And the Horse He Rode In On: The People vs. Kenneth Starr; Buck Up, Suck Up... and Come Back When You Foul Up; Had Enough? A Handbook for Fighting Back; Stickin’: The Case for Loyalty; his children’s book, Lu and the Swamp Ghost; and 2006’s Take it Back, 40 More Years: How the Democrats will Rule the Next Generation. His most recent book with wife Mary Matalin, Love & War: Twenty Years, Three Presidents, Two Daughters and One Louisiana Home, was released in 2014. Carville is currently working on his 10th yet to be titled tome with a late summer 2016 release date.

Along with pollster Stanley Greenberg, Carville founded Democracy Corps, an independent, non-profit polling organization dedicated to making government more responsive to the American people.

Carville returned to his home state of Louisiana in 2008, where he is now a prominent advocate for the city of New Orleans and has added Professor of Practice in Political Science at Tulane University to his long list of titles.

ABOUT MARY MATALIN

Mary Matalin is one of the most celebrated and popular conservative voices in America. As an author, television and radio host, and widely sought after political contributor, pundit and public speaker, she has become noted for her straightforward manner and insightful political repartee. Among her many roles and accomplishments, she has served under President Ronald Reagan, made her mark as George H.W. Bush's Campaign director and most recently as assistant to President George W. Bush, and as assistant and counselor to Vice President Dick Cheney, making her the first White House official to hold that double title.

Since that time, Matalin has made frequent television appearances as a political commentator, securing a career in conservative media advocacy following decades of work in the GOP political trenches. Today, she co-hosts the nationally-syndicated radio program Both Sides Now, which is currently broadcast on over 100 radio stations across the country. 

In addition to her successful careers in politics, television and radio, Matalin is also a widely read, respected and acclaimed author. Matalin co-authored the best-selling political campaign book All's Fair: Love, War, and Running for President with her husband, James Carville. The book was named one of the top 5 best books on public relations by The Wall Street Journal.   Matalin and Carville recently returned to the New York Times best sellers list with their newest book Love and War: 20 Years, 3 Presidents, 2 Daughters, One Louisiana Home, available now. Matalin also penned Letters to My Daughters, a series of short missives for her own daughters, making both The New York Times and the Washington Post best-seller lists.

Matalin sits on the boards of numerous respected institutions across the country, including: Tulane University's President's Council, The New Orleans Jazz Orchestra, Loyola University’s Board of Trustees and The Louisiana Nature Conservancy. Matalin, sharing a deep love for the city of New Orleans with husband James Carville, is also involved in the upcoming Tricentennial celebration of the City of New Orleans in 2018.

Tickets for this event are available for purchase at paramountvt.org.