Party over principles found Democrats in lockstep against Michigan Rep. Haley Stevens while an infamously fiery political strategist insisted her endorsement swap was bought for a “f*ckin’ cheeseburger.”
(Video Credit: Politicon)
The one standard among proponents of the catchphrase “vote blue, no matter who” remains lockstep unity when it comes to winning elections. So it was that Stevens’ violation of that standard days before the midterm election, dropping Senate nominee Abdul El-Sayed in favor of Republican former Rep. Mike Rogers, prompted a cavalcade of condescension, including from political strategist James Carville in a vulgar rant.
In a Sunday installment of “James Carville Explains,” the Ragin’ Cajun suggested that Stevens’ support was always up for sale as he began, “I think El-Sayed offered her one cheeseburger and Rogers offered her two cheeseburgers, and in the spirit of [Pennsylvania Sen.] John Fetterman, sh*t, gimme another cheeseburger and I’ll give ya my soul.”
“I mean, lady, if you’re gonna sell your soul, you gotta get more for it than a f*ckin’ cheeseburger, okay?” continued Carville. “You gotta put some kind of a price on yourself, or some kind of G****** self-pride. But your political career is over.”
It was then he shifted from the profanity to graphic imagery as he said, “If you think that these Republicans are gonna treat you as anything other than what they view you as, and that is, let me just break the news to you: a used condom. The Democrats don’t even think you’re worth a used condom, but that’s about where you are. You made your bed, sleep in it. You sh*t in your mess kit, eat it.”
Carville used the same comparison when talking about women working in Trump’s White House in the wake of Katie Zacharia’s brief tenure as White House press secretary.
James Carville warns women in Trump White House they’ll be tossed aside ‘like a used condom’ https://t.co/NDBPBaMSDz via @BIZPACReview
— BPR (@BIZPACReview) October 20, 2026
“You talk about people that got no bottom to what they do,” his Stevens rant went on. “What kind of people do you think they collaborate with?”
Worth noting, the Michigan Democrat, who backed El-Sayed after losing to him in the primary, stated her issue with the Senate nominee prior to the November surprise was his inability to disavow what she described as an antisemitic ad from Rebellion PAC, “produced by Hasan Piker’s uncle, Cenk Uygur.” As a result, El-Sayed doubled down with a dig at the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) as his campaign reportedly told Stevens to “stay away” from upcoming events.
Earlier this year, amid frustrations with the rising influence of radicals like the Democratic Socialists of America and Islamists on the party, Carville stated plainly, “I am not going to be in the same party with Hasan Piker.”
“If he becomes a force in the Democratic Party, I’m out of here. I have no intention of ever being in the same political party with that guy,” Carville went on to Fox News’ Jacqui Heinrich. “I can’t sit here and tell you for certain how this is going to turn out, but the one thing I can tell you for certain, Hasan Piker and James Carville are not going to be in the same political party. One of us is going to leave. It might even be me.”
Carville reveals what the final straw that drives him from the Democratic Party will be https://t.co/bq5ws2N37N via @BIZPACReview
— BPR (@BIZPACReview) August 3, 2026
In addition to the strategist behind former President Bill Clinton’s campaign success, figures from the administrations of both former Presidents Barack Obama and Joe Biden were among those slamming Stevens’ decision as career-ending.
Center for American Progress CEO Neera Tanden insisted, “Standing with [Mike] Rogers is a betrayal of everything Haley Stevens has fought for her entire career. It’s also a betrayal of all of her supporters that believed in her. I hope [El-Sayed] has a strong victory on Tuesday and that all Democrats and like-minded independents support vote for him.”
Likewise, Jon Favreau wrote, “This is the single most unproductive, selfish thing a Democratic candidate has done all cycle and likely many cycles before that. Having misjudged candidates in the past myself, I hope everyone who tried to recruit, support, and defend Haley can now admit what a mistake it was.”
Standing with Miker Rogers is a betrayal of everything Haley Stevens has fought for her entire career. It’s also a betrayal of all of her supporters that believed in her. I hope @AbdulElSayed has a strong victory on Tuesday and that all Democrats and like-minded independents support vote for him.
— Neera Tanden🌻 (@neeratanden) November 1, 2026
This is the single most unproductive, selfish thing a Democratic candidate has done all cycle and likely many cycles before that.
Having misjudged candidates in the past myself, I hope everyone who tried to recruit, support, and defend Haley can now admit what a mistake it was.
— Jon Favreau (@jonfavs) November 1, 2026
Congrats on being the saddest sore loser in politics since Trump 2020! Historic stuff.
— Tommy Vietor (@TVietor08) November 1, 2026
This tweet aged… oh so well.
— Mehdi Hasan (@mehdirhasan) November 2, 2026
What’s so annoying about this is that it’s a reminder of how for some, not all, centrist Democrats, politics is just a game. Actual people or principles don’t matter. It’s all just posturing and positioning. This woman claims to be a Democrat but the people Democrats care about – minorities, the poor, women – will all suffer under a GOP Senate. The Supreme Court, which has harmed so many people, will get another GOP justice under a GOP Senate.
Rogers’s racism, bigotry, election denial, opposition to abortion rights or universal healthcare, none of it matters to her.— Mehdi Hasan (@mehdirhasan) November 2, 2026
@HaleyforMI = fetterwoman
— Molly Jong-Fast (@MollyJongFast) November 1, 2026
Native of Brooklyn, NY, Kevin Haggerty is a graduate of Hunter College where he studied Cultural Anthropology and Geography. An avid reader and truth seeker, he currently resides in Texas with his wife and their dog and, when he isn't researching current events and their impacts, you'll find him spending time with friends and family or working on his next novel.
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