Various Democrats have been openly discussing their plans after retaking power to change the system so they never lose power again. Democratic strategist James Carville has been one of the most vocal and returned to the subject this week in laying out how they will make D.C. and Puerto Rico states and pack the Supreme Court with a liberal majority.
On his podcast with Al Hunt, Carville explained, “If the Democrats win the presidency and both houses of Congress, I think on day one, they should make Puerto Rico [and] D.C. a state, and they should expand the Supreme Court to 13. F— it. Eat our dust.”
Notably, this week, New Jersey just elected a radical new member, Analilia Mejia, who ran on packing the Court and other radical agenda items. While some of us have written about the expansion of the Court, these politicians and pundits are pushing for the packing, not just gradual expanding, of the Court.
However, Carville (curiously on a national podcast) seriously suggested that Democrats should keep the plan quiet: “Don’t run on it. Don’t talk about it. Just do it.”
Call it the Nike School of Constitutional Law.
The need of the left to pack the Supreme Court is obvious. Many of the proposals coming from the left are clearly unconstitutional. You will need a partisan majority to make the political changes that these figures hope will give the Democrats a lock on power for years to come.
Years ago, Harvard professor Michael Klarman laid out a radical agenda to change the system to guarantee Republicans “will never win another election.” However, he warned that “the Supreme Court could strike down everything I just described.” Therefore, the court must be packed in advance to allow these changes to occur.
Likewise, Carville previously explained how this process of how the pack-to-power plan would work:
“I’m going to tell you what’s going to happen. A Democrat is going to be elected in 2028. You know that. I know that. The Democratic president is going to announce a special transition advisory committee on the reform of the Supreme Court. They’re going to recommend that the number of Supreme Court justices go from nine to 13. That’s going to happen, people.”
The push for court packing and war chests on the left remains unchanged despite conservatives on the Court ruling against the Administration on major cases. Carville and others cannot claim that the conservative justices are robotically voting with the Administration, but it does not matter. They want a Court that will consistently uphold the changes being planned by Democratic strategists.
The fact that these changes would come after the 250th anniversary of the most successful democratic system in history is a crushing irony. However, it is notable that the Democrats want Congress and the courts to push through these changes, not the public. The public remains opposed to court packing and making D.C. a state. That is why Carville wants candidates to keep quiet on the plan and run, like Virginia’s Abigail Spanberger, as faux moderates. Then, as in Virginia, they can move to fundamentally change districts and rules to guarantee their hold on power.
It is a mentality summed up by NEA President Becky Pringle:
The question is whether rage politics can convince a people to destroy the very democratic system that has brought centuries of stability and prosperity.
In the 1950’s, Democrats presented themselves as the party of reasonable intellectuals. Twice, Adlai Stevenson, the product of elite private schools, was the Presidential candidate, placed in contrast to Dwight Eisenhower, who was shown to suffer from garbled syntax. Fashionable magazines like The New Republic offered thoughtful articles by writers like Walter Lippman in favor of Democratic policies. But now we have James Carville and Becky Pringle as representative of the Democratic Party. If Darwin were alive, he’d wonder why we devolving rather than evolving.
edwardmahl,
Devolving is what woke progressive policies are.
This in at least tangentially on topic. There has been a lot of speculation in the comment sections for numerous columns on this blog regarding why the US public keeps electing the DemonRats, even when poll after poll shows that that general public is well aware that those politicians are incompetent and/or their actions are destructive to our society. This article by Chris Bray of the Federalist proposes a pretty thorough and plausible explanation, which is that the Repugnicans aren’t presenting a truly viable alternative.
Why Disastrous Blue Model Failure Isn’t Producing A Red Shift
https://thefederalist.com/2026/04/17/blue-model-failure-isnt-producing-a-red-shift/
“Republicans have to stand for something, they have to argue strenuously against blue model ruin, and they have to propose real alternatives. And they have to stop debating inside a Democrat-established rhetorical framework. Voters see Democratic failure. They don’t see another path, yet, and our election results mostly keep proving that… We have a failed party, with a failed political model and a bunch of disaffected voters, and another party that … exists. In the immortal words of Judge Elihu Smails, “Well, we’re waiting.””
All I can say is that as time passes it becomes more and more evient that James Carville is suffering from dementia. The other comment I will make is that Professor Turley referes to the DEMOCRAT Party as the DEMOCRATIC Party. This is a misnomer. The DEOMOCRATS ARE NOT DEMOCRATIC.
“DEMOCRATIC Party. This is a misnomer.”
While I get your point, they are officially incorporated and organized as the Democratic party and the National Democratic Committee. Regardless of their faithlessness to the term, it is important that a widely read columnist such as Turley refer to people, things, and organizations by their officially recognised names. I don’t have that constraint, so “DemonRats” works fine for me…
If that does happen I do believe we will see a civil war.
the vatican is traying to become a nuclear power
and youll lose again
“and youll lose again”
Again? Hey History Ignoramus, the Democrats (the South) lost the last one? Are you predicting a repeat of that?
The bedrock principle of political competition in a democracy is that political parties and candidates may ONLY COMPETE based on policy proposals put before the electorate for their weighing and choosing. That principle is struggling to survive.
Party operatives take up a “win by any means” zealotry — gaming the voter registration and ballot distribution process — duping the electorate using professional CIA-trained PsyOps — gerrymandering — plotting statehood additions — Supreme Court packing — mickeying the Electoral College vote with fake slates — something called the National Popular Vote Interstate Compact. OK, we’re still short of assassinating candidates as is done in Mexico and Russia.
How about the moderate, sane center constantly reminding the two parties of the terms of competition? A good start would be a Supreme Court that doesn’t passively accept partisan gerrymandering of federal elections as an unintended feature of our Constitution. How about a Supreme Court that revisits how the Sullivan decision violates the 14th Amendment’s “equal protection under the law” when it comes to defamation of candidates for office?
The two-party system only works if both parties are willing to subordinate themselves to the will of the the people without resorting to deception and manipulation.
We’ve entered a dangerous era where neither party is willing to pull back from gaming the system. The question becomes, who has the power under our system to force the parties to compete fairly? Where is the combination of neutrality and force to be found?
Carville is a lunatic. Democrats have lost millions of voters. His thinking is the reason why Trump was elected.
James Carville is full of himself. D.C. and Puerto Rico are debt ridden black-holes.
Alberta Canada & British Columbia Canada and even Cuba would make more sense for Statehood.
There would be no tears lost on shedding losses like that of Puerto Rico and other Territorial claims.
It’s time to break the 50 State limit and move forward with new States in the Union. Consolidating existing States into One would also be a good choice (North & South Dakota or the North & South Carolina, etc.)
Trim and Consolidate losses and expand growth by expansion.
250 Years of Capped-Growth of Statehood is a preposterous way to run a Nation State.
All of the world’s history seems to be premised on two main crises: haves vs. have-nots, and minority populations wanting to overtake majorities. The good professor is right about our ability to survive 250 years. Yet the inconvenient truth is that all three of his columns/posts today relate in one way or another to those same crises, (however major or minor they might be).
Whether it is over taking control of land/territory, resources, or political power, these fights go on.
It’s a tension that cannot be denied. We can feel the rumblings under our feet, like an impending earthquake –or, at least, we see those little fingers working to tug at the threads of our cohesive fabric. Even this Res Ipsa Loquitur, is daily bombarded with unhappy instigators, -as commenter Sam notes elsewhere, the “ingrates.”
I am not PollyAnna. But America has not been a duplicated example of principled government because of poor choices.
America thrives on its righteous successes, refines its mistakes, and must not forget how our “civilization” survives (by merit, not by identity politics).
Carville says, “F— it. Eat our dust. ”
I say to Carville, “Frame it. Eat our Resilience.”
Thank you Professor Turley! For helping us see the clouds from ‘both sides now’ (Joni Mitchell)
As Charlie Brown muses to Snoopy, “Don’t worry about the world coming to an end today. It is already tomorrow in Australia.”
We’ll make it.
Lin,
I think we should throw it right back in their face, “Frame it. Eat our resistance!”
merit? name the last gopper who was self made?
https://www.celebritynetworth.com/list/top-50-republicans/
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAAHHAHA You can practically SMELL the desperation oozing out of Turley’s pores at this point. Trump’s approval rating is plummeting faster than Hegseth’s ‘days-of-sobriety-count’ so he just starts pulling out ALL the old chestnuts! “HUNTER BIDEN!” “THE DEMS WILL PACK THE COURTS!” What’s next? “THE DEMS ARE GOING TO TAKE AWAY YOUR GUNS!!!!”
Never forget that however much Hunter Biden tried to profit from his last name, the Trump Klan has outpaced that on the order of billions – see crypto deals, insider trading on prediction markets and Jared receiving billions from Saudi Investors as he “volunteers” as a middle east envoy meaning he doesn’t have to be subjected to ‘conflicts of interest’ scrutiny – not to mention the Bezos bribe for the crap movie Melania – one of the lowest ranked movies in the history of Rotten Tomatoes. Turley knows ALL of this but conveniently turns a blind eye to keep his mob enraged and selling books. And never forget that the Republicans already packed the Supreme Court when they denied Obama the opportunity to fulfill his legal obligation in replacing Scalia’s open seat. And never forget that Republicans are closest aligned with the very tyranny we revolted against with “No taxation without representation” in wanting to keep territories like Puerto Rico from becoming states. (If you need a reminder, Puerto Rico is that island that was labeled and raft of floating trash by Republicans during the Republican National Convention in the lead up to the 2024 election – a claim that Trump never denounced).
So spare us your faux outraged flopsweat Turley. It would save us all time if you just wrote “I love Donald Trump no matter what he does – please buy my book!” and be done with it.
PSYCHO ANON AGAIN!
Ano
“THE DEMS ARE GOING TO TAKE AWAY YOUR GUNS!!!!”
*******************
Have you NOT noticed. One blue state after another are doing just that.
Both WA and Oregon are doing it by ensuring you can’t get a license issued by the police dept, by not funding them money.
DustOff,
And, DOJ’s Dhillon: AR-15s ‘Protected by the Constitution’
“The Justice Department’s civil rights chief warned Virginia this week that the federal government would sue the state if it enacts legislation banning the sale and manufacture of AR-15-style rifles, setting up a direct confrontation with Gov. Abigail Spanberger, as she signed a package of gun control measures and sent the centerpiece assault weapons bill back to the legislature with amendments.”
https://www.newsmax.com/politics/harmeet-dhillon-ar-15-abigail-spanberger/2026/04/16/id/1253203/?utm_source=referral&utm_medium=offthepress&utm_campaign=home
“One blue state after another are doing just that.”
There will come a point, and I think it may be relatively soon, when an attempt to confiscate firearms may well be met with rounds from those same firearms. We have several neighbors to our off-grid, rural, Virginia property who own, and regularly practice with, “AR-15” style firearms (one neighbor has his own firing range), and who would never voluntarily turn those in. The only question, should the s’tunt currently occupying the VA Governor’s chair attempt to compel that, is whether they would hide them, or go into full-on molon labe mode.
Want to see what real desperation looks like? Having to pretend to be a Republican to win elections, In age of Trump, Democrats resort to running as faux Republicans to ‘get a foot in the door’
“Stalking horses or sincere concerns with issues? Democrats are running as Republicans with increasing frequency as their polling shows that many of their hallmark issues are not popular with voters. Ronan’s past public statements urged Democrats to “infiltrate Republican spaces,” “primary them,” and run as Republicans in “deep red districts” to “get a foot in the door.”
https://justthenews.com/politics-policy/age-trump-democrats-resort-running-faux-republicans-get-foot-door?utm_source=referral&utm_medium=offthepress&utm_campaign=home
Or, do what Spanberger in VA, fake being a moderate Democrat to win the moderate Democrat’s votes, then sneer in their faces that she really is a far leftist and she duped them and there is nothing they can do about it.
Its now republicant in VA. Whoot Whoot
There’s no better time to begin seriously reflecting on Benjamin’s counsel regarding the kind of government they were giving us….”A Constitutional Republic…..IF…..you can keep it! The inmates are hell bent on taking control of the cuckoo’s nest and Carville is well suited to the task.
When you peel back the skin, Carville is the democrat party. No doubt pro Iran, pro Hamas, pro China, and pro destruction of America because of the blanket of illicit drug drug use, easy welfare, and the imported idea of “Steal whatbyou can while you can”.
Fun fact:
From my California voter guide: candidates for governor:
26 democrats
23 No party preference
13 republicans
1 Peace and Freedom Party
Based on this, no one is happy.
“No doubt pro Iran, pro Hamas, pro China, and pro destruction of America because of the blanket of illicit drug drug use, easy welfare, and the imported idea of “Steal whatbyou can while you can”.”
Nah, Carville isn’t “pro” any of those larger issue items; that would require at least a smidgeon of consistency and internal integrity. He is solely “pro-Carville”, in the narrowest possible sense of the term. All else from him is either rationalization, drug-induced hallucination, or completely unadulterated BS.
That can’t be right. Voter guides haven’t even been mailed yet and Upstate says there are eight Democrats and two Republicans so they all fit on one stage.
Would making the SCOTUS an even number of votes (either reduce it by one to eight, or incease to twelve, thereby requiring an exaggerated majority, serve to encourage more compromise and less partisan ideologism? I am thinking of Calhoun’s (I know, “eek!” right?) concurrent majority as an example.
“However, Carville (curiously on a national podcast) seriously suggested that Democrats should keep the plan quiet: “Don’t run on it. Don’t talk about it. Just do it.”
Yeah, but carville, we have all seen and heard you say IT out loud. Sure, MSM will not cover what you said or just ignore it. But we know! We have seen your videos and podcasts! We know you want to “Just do it!”
Kinda sounds like undermining the Constitution, the Republic and contrary to democracy. Sounds a lot like an insurrection, a coup.
The party of riots, assassinations, open borders and kiddie mutilation would like to add a few more unpopular policy proposals. If you don’t like it they have a rest camp where you can work it off. But don’t worry it will be guarded by Republican trustees. Like the Kapo’s before them they are the truest of true believers who will sell their mothers and their souls for a little bit of influence in this 1000-Year “Democratic Socialist” Reich. When you own the people who “buy ink by the barrel” you can do and say anything. The scab-scribes will work overtime to polish your most unconstitutional and offensive policy ideas. Shame on us for giving so much power to the Republican milquetoast brigade. You can’t blame the Democreeps for trying. You can blame the conservatives following Marquis of Queensberry rules in the street fight that is modern politics.
The Rs are using every play in the book to cement their hold on power, legal or not. Turley has not objected to any of them. But Ds wanting to expand the court, which is completely legal, is bad? Gimme a break.
Name something the Rs have done to cement their hold on power.
The Post Office (Republican controlled) can delay mail from D areas to prevent those ballots from being counted.
Having indoctrinated 2-3 generations with the educational institutions they control the next step is to walk them all off a cliff like the Piper of Hamelin
Turley– “Various Democrats have been openly discussing their plans after retaking power to change the system so they never lose power again.”
Still think they don’t cheat at elections????
The hubris is just insane. The dems aren’t talking about disenfranchising Republicans – they want to disenfranchise ALL of us, from coast to coast. This is easily the most bald-faced embracing of fascism our country has ever seen, and they have evidenced even out of power the levels of discord they’ll sow. It is pure madness.
Can’t these “democrats”–they’re really communists–be charged with treason?
“they want to disenfranchise ALL of us, from coast to coast. ”
Yep. And the result is more likely to be rule by a permanently empowered and entitled bureaucracy with figureheads than by an actual “king”. While we have been moving in that direction for far too long, it can get far worse. Think of the Joe Biden administration as a preview. I’m not sure I wouldn’t prefer a king to that atrocious mess.
I am going to try to engage in wokespeak
“Remember it isn’t democracy unless the correct result occurs.”
How did I do s@@tlibs?
antonio
Let’s face it, the democrat party is an authoritarian criminal organization. There is no coincidence that the Chicago influence on the party has facilitated the merger of organized crime and the democrat party.
You democrats keep thinking they are for the people and for civil rights and never seem to wonder where $37T dollars goes and why problems never get solved – hint: those aren’t problems, those are solutions to getting numbskulls to vote for criminals.