In his eighth decade of life, firebrand political strategist James Carville shows little sign of retiring. He maintains a regular presence on cable news and co-hosts the podcast Politics War Room with journalist Al Hunt. Abundantly clear from the new documentary Carville: Winning is Everything, Stupid — is the fact that he is also still very much involved behind the scenes of the democratic party. The film, directed by Matt Tyrnauer, brings the audience to Carville, Louisiana — a small, impoverished town where Carville grew up. Among other topics, it explores the Carville family’s background in sales, which influenced James as he entered the world of political campaigns (he worked on several losing campaigns before helping Bill Clinton win the presidency in 1992).
Carville and Tyrnauer tell The Treatment how Carville has stayed relevant for more than 30 years and why he can be so outspoken. Carville tells us why, in his opinion, there is no nobility in losing. And Tyrnauer explains why he had to change the ending of the film at the last minute.