Carville, James (1944–)

James Carville is a political consultant and Democratic strategist who came to fame working as the campaign manager for President Bill Clinton's 1992 and 1996 election campaigns. The “Ragin' Cajun,” as Carville came to be known, because of his feisty debating style, was born in Carville, Louisiana (named for his grandfather). He received a bachelor's degree and a law degree at Louisiana State University. His career as a campaign manager did not start well, as his first three candidates lost the elections that he managed.

Carville's work as a campaign manager was unsuccessful until Robert Casey's victory in the 1986 Pennsylvania gubernatorial race. Subsequent campaigns for Frank Lautenberg's Senate campaign in 1987 and Zell Miller's Georgia gubernatorial campaign in 1990 also proved successful. As a result, ...