James Carville: When Our Magazine Flew on Air Force One

One afternoon in 1993, Bill Clinton, recently inaugurated as President of the United States, returned to the waiting Air Force One after delivering a speech to a convention in New Orleans.

Something on one of the plane’s tables caught the president’s attention. It was a copy of our publication, New Orleans Magazine. He was amused that the cover story was about James Carville, the colorful Louisiana native who had been a strategist in his campaign. It was Carville who coined the phrase that was draped on a banner in the Clinton Campaign headquarters. There was more wisdom than grace in the phrase’s message, which would become an everlasting part of the American political vernacular: “It’s the Economy, Stupid.” And indeed, it was.

Clinton had become president by besting incumbent George Bush (the elder), who early in his term had achieved near record-breaking popularity for his handling of the Iraq-Kuwait war. Those poll numbers, however, had turned dismal during the rest of his term because of a serious plunge in the economy. Lifting the American flag in an Arabian desert was stirring, but it was the economy, the sources of jobs and wealth, that desperately needed boosting.

A few days after Clinton’s visit, our office received a voice message from Carville to whom Clinton had shown the magazine when he returned to Washington. Carville said that both he and the president enjoyed the article. (As far as we know that edition was the first ever copy of a city magazine to make it into Air Force One and to receive presidential review.)

We would learn that the magazine had reached Air Force One because of a local photographer who was part of the press pool that day who had covered the visit. He had thoughtfully left a copy for the president.

With Clinton’s election, Carville, whose idea of formal attire is an LSU jersey and a baseball cap, had drawn lots of media attention. He was colorful; very smart and spoke with more metaphors than Mike the Tiger chasing a squad of Ole Miss Rebels. (My metaphor; not his.)

He was a native of a place actually called “Carville” from back in the days when rural spots were frequently identified by the U.S. Government according to the name of the then postmaster – originally his grandfather Louis, and then his father Chester. The name would also receive federal identification as the site of a “leprosarium,” a national site caring for patients afflicted with what was once more commonly referred to as “leprosy” nowadays properly referred to as “Hansen’s Disease.” 

Carville, the community, is located near the town of St. Gabriel, not far south of Baton Rouge. The place is enough in the country to be rural but, with New Orleans down the road, close enough to be at the national crossroads.

With Clinton’s inauguration, James Carville was now more famous that even the leprosarium. For us at the magazine, it was an opportunity to feature a local guy who had burst into the scene with national credentials and even helped elect a president.

Amazingly, we were able to make telephone contact with him. During a lengthy interview, the conversation weaved in and out with stories of Louisiana lore and national politics.

 Of all his comments, what I remember best was the closing. Carville suggested that I should call his momma, Lucille.  She, he assured, was quite colorful. In an appreciated act of trust, he gave me her phone number and would tell her to expect a call.

Lucille Carville was quite gracious as she adjusted to the newfound fame of being a king maker’s mom. My favorite moment came when, as a random thought, I asked her what she would fix if one day James would bring the president home for supper. She answered quickly: “I would call Clinton’s mother and asked her what he liked to eat.”

There is great political wisdom to be learned from the Carvilles: Keep an eye on the budget, but always try to give the people what they want. 

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Have something to add to this story, or want to send a comment to Errol? Email him at errol@myneworleans.com. Note: All responses are subject to being published, as edited, in this article. Please include your name and location.

BOOK ANNOUNCEMENTS: Errol’s Laborde’s new book, “When Rex Met Zulu: And Other Chronicles of the New Orleans Experience” (Pelican Publishing Company, 2024, is now available at local bookstores and in the myneworlean.com store.

Laborde’s other recent publications: “New Orleans: The First 300 Years” and “Mardi Gras: Chronicles of the New Orleans Carnival” (Pelican Publishing Company, 2017 and 2013), are available at the same locations.

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