James Carville has had enough.
The longtime Democrat strategist, who helped Bill Clinton win the White House, is once again sounding the alarm—this time about the language Democrats are using that, in his view, alienates the very voters they need to win.
On the latest episode of his “Politics War Room” podcast, Carville warned his party that terms like “equity,” “intersectionality,” “structural,” and “LGBTQ+” are baffling or off-putting to everyday Americans. Worse, he says, these phrases reek of elitism and virtue-signaling.
“You’re just trying to show people how smart you are,” Carville said. “Don’t use words like that.”
According to Carville, Democrats are blowing their messaging with words that mean nothing to most voters—or worse, trigger skepticism and backlash. He urged candidates to drop academic jargon and embrace plain-spoken populism.
Carville’s banned word list includes:
- “Generational change” — because it alienates older voters.
- “Structural” — too abstract in a moment of practical urgency.
- “Equity” — Carville says most people don’t know what it means and think it implies forced outcomes. He recommends “equality” instead.
- “Oligarch” — too esoteric; he prefers “fat cats.”
- “Community” — overused and now tied too closely to the Democrat brand.
- “LGBTQ+” — too complicated; he suggests sticking with “gay,” “lesbian,” or “trans.”
- “Intersectionality” — mocked as an NPR-only term.
The colorful strategist, known as the “Ragin’ Cajun,” even poked fun at an NPR panel he heard swooning over the word “intersectionality,” saying, “I literally thought they were gonna go overboard in ecstasy on the radio.”
His overarching message? Democrats are wasting precious opportunities to connect with voters by using niche or ideological buzzwords that don’t land with normal people.
“You know Mark Twain famously said, ‘The difference between the right word and a nearly right word is the difference between lightning and a lightning bug,’” Carville reminded listeners. “Be lightning, don’t be a lightning bug.”
Carville’s frustration isn’t new. He’s been a sharp critic of the progressive wing of his party, warning that “pronoun politics” and elite cultural posturing are pushing working-class voters and young men away in droves.
He’s particularly worried about the rise of candidates like Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Sen. Bernie Sanders, who champion abstract terms like “oligarchy” and “intersectional justice” instead of focusing on bread-and-butter issues that resonate more broadly.
Even the word “community,” he said, has become so overused and politically loaded that it no longer carries neutral meaning. “It’s just such a Democratic word,” Carville added.
While Carville didn’t name names, his message was a direct rebuke to the direction much of the party has taken—one that he believes is rooted more in elite academic theory than in relatable, everyday language.
Carville’s critique comes as the Democratic Party struggles with declining support among Hispanic voters, working-class whites, and even some Black men—demographics that used to form the party’s core.
His advice to Democrats trying to reach a broader audience heading into 2026 and 2028: speak plainly, avoid the echo chamber of elite media and academia, and stop talking like an HR seminar.
If they don’t, he warned, they’re “wasting an opportunity to make their case.”
In other words, they’re all lightning bugs—and they’re losing.
