James Carville to give convocation address at WFU

James Carville

James Carville, Democratic strategist, author and co-host of CNN’s “Crossfire,” will give the Founders’ Day Convocation address at Wake Forest University at 11 a.m. Feb. 3 in the university’s Wait Chapel. The event is free and open to the public.

During convocation, the university will recognize several students — the field hockey team, which won its third consecutive NCAA Championship in 2004; the men’s soccer team, which won the ACC regular season title; and Wake Forest senior Rebecca Cook, who was recently named a Rhodes Scholar. In addition, the Medallion of Merit, the university’s highest award for service, will be presented.

As co-host of “Crossfire,” Carville and his former political consulting partner, Paul Begala, square off against conservatives Robert Novak and Tucker Carlson. Sometimes called “the ragin’Cajun,” Carville is well-known for his debating style.

Carville emerged onto the national political scene after his and Begala’s consulting firm, Carville & Begala, helped elect President Bill Clinton in 1992. For his success with the Clinton campaign, Carville was named Campaign Manager of the Year in 1993 by the American Association of Political Consultants. His leadership in Clinton’s campaign war room also became the subject of the feature-length, Academy Award-nominated documentary “The War Room.” Carville later served as a senior adviser to President Clinton.

Some of Carville’s other domestic electoral successes with Carville & Begala include the 1991 Senate victory of Harris Wofford in Pennsylvania; the 1990 gubernatorial victories of Georgia’s Zell Miller and Pennsylvania’s Robert P. Casey; and the 1998 re-election of U.S. Sen. Frank Lautenberg of New Jersey.

After the Clinton victory, Carville switched his consulting focus from domestic to foreign political races. In 1997, he co-founded the international consulting firm of Gould, Greenberg, Carville — NOP. In 1999, Carville helped Ehud Barak become prime minister of Israel.

Carville has authored and co-authored several books. He and Begala wrote a best-seller based on their war-room experiences titled “Suck Up, Buck Up … and Come Back When You Foul Up.” He also wrote “We’re Right, They’re Wrong, A Handbook for Spirited Progressives,” which hit number one on The New York Times Best-Seller List. Carville and his wife, renowned Republican strategist and recent Bush administration adviser Mary Matalin, co-authored the book “All’s Fair: Love, War, and Running for President.” In 2004, his children’s book, “Lu and the Swamp Ghost,” was published.

Before entering politics, Carville was a litigator in Baton Rouge, La. He also served in the U.S. Marines and taught high school. Carville graduated from Louisiana State University with undergraduate and law degrees.