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About this quote

What does it mean?
Carville compares the U.S. government to something filthy and unusable, suggesting a complete overhaul is needed.
In plain terms
The government is so bad it needs to be completely replaced.
What can you take from it?
Political systems can become so corrupt or ineffective that total change is required.

Where it applies

  • election campaigns
  • political critique
  • public dissatisfaction

Putting it to work

  • advocate for policy shifts
  • critique systemic issues

Questions to consider

  • When is a complete overhaul of a system actually necessary?
  • How do you define when a system is 'dirty' beyond partisan bias?

Another view

The metaphor is hyperbolic and may oversimplify complex governance issues.

More from James Carville

  1. Who cares? Sometimes you need rebirth.' (On the destruction of America)

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  2. Hurricane [Katrina] hit the Gulf Coast and destroyed much of the Gulf Coast - that was an act of god ... Now what happened to New Orleans, that was a complete …

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  3. (Hollywood) hates America.

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