How liberal is Hillary Clinton really?
James Carville weighs in on Hillary Clinton’s presidential ambitions
This is a RUSH transcript from "The O'Reilly Factor," February 13, 2014. This copy may not be in its final form and may be updated.
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O'REILLY: Continuing now with the real Hillary Clinton. Joining us from Washington, Democrat and close friend of the Clintons, James Carville. I said as I mentioned to Laura this week that Mrs. Clinton is going to have to repudiate some of President Obama's economic policies if she wants to win the presidency. Was that an astute observation, Carville?
JAMES CARVILLE, FOX NEWS CONTRIBUTOR: I would have said that she'll have to have some different -- she'll have to differentiate herself, that she'll have to add things. I don't know if there's any economic policy that the President has that she would repudiate but she may say we need to do more things. That kind of things she's certainly not going to repudiate --
(CROSSTALK)
O'REILLY: More entitlement spending? More government spending?
CARVILLE: Well, she's not going to repudiate it. She's not going to -- she's not -- she's certainly not going to repudiate the health care act. It's starting to work now. I think she'll -- I think about 2016 --
(CROSSTALK)
O'REILLY: You know, you Colmes tell me that but all the other people say the health care act is still a mess and chaotic.
So I don't know why I should believe you and Colmes because you guys are rooting -- it's like, you know, you have a basketball team in New Orleans, your hometown.
CARVILLE: Right.
O'REILLY: The Pelicans. Number one why would any team be named the Pelicans? What are they, diving for fish at half-time? What do they do?
CARVILLE: I'll say it's a bird --
O'REILLY: Yes ok but the Pelicans are not going to win. They probably won't even get in the playoffs, but you can say they're going to get in the playoffs every day if you want. But the fact of the matter is that Obamacare still chaotic. It's still a mess.
CARVILLE: But it's working much better. The sign-up is going to be close. But again and by the way, it's going to be working much better in 2016. She's not going to repudiate --
O'REILLY: It depends how bad it is. It depends if the doctors bail. She'll repudiate -- look this is my thing about Hillary Clinton.
CARVILLE: Ok all right.
O'REILLY: I think Hillary Clinton is a very realistic person. Would I be wrong in that assessment?
CARVILLE: You would not be wrong. She's a pretty grounded realist.
O'REILLY: Ok I think she's realistic. Right and I think that she -- she makes decisions based upon --
CARVILLE: Right.
O'REILLY: -- what's best for Hillary Clinton as most human beings do. Not what's best -- most human beings make decisions on what's best for Hillary Clinton but what's best for themselves. She's a delegator. We saw that as Secretary of State. She throws a lot of things to people she hires. A lot of times that doesn't work out, like Libya, that's a good example of that.
But she's not like Barack Obama who's really an ideological man Barack Obama and his wife is too, Michelle Obama, who has a lot to say behind the scenes.
So here's my next question. I don't think Hillary Clinton is that liberal, I just don't. I think she mouths it, but in her heart I think she's just going to do anything she can to win. And if that means saying she loves to watch THE FACTOR that's what she's going to say.
CARVILLE: You know, I think if you look at her history, first of all, she's pretty committed to these children's issues. If you recall she was on the board of the Children's Defense Fund. She's certainly a lot of things but she's not in terms of foreign policy as Secretary of State -- she's not -- she's not --
(CROSSTALK)
CARVILLE: -- she certainly believes in some interventions and she believes in muscular foreign policy if you will.
Look at health care. I mean when she had -- when she was First Lady, she was very involved in trying to pass a health care act. It is somewhat different, but certainly trying to insure everybody. I think she's pretty open-minded that kind of thing. But you're right, she is -- she is a realist and she's grounded in pragmatism.
But I think that a lot of the things that you think about the goals she has would be similar to some of the goals that the President has.
O'REILLY: I don't think so. I think they're going to let Bill Clinton run the economy. I think that's what they're going to if Hillary Clinton runs for president, I think she's going to outright say I'm going to put my husband in charge of the economy, because under him it was pretty good. And so he knows how to do it. I think that's what --
CARVILLE: I think -- I think I'm pretty sure if she's elected she's going to be her own person. I don't think she's going to put any -- I think she'll stay in charge.
O'REILLY: You don't think Bill will be in charge of stuff? Come on.
CARVILLE: No, I don't.
O'REILLY: Come on.
CARVILLE: She's a pretty strong person and I think if she goes to the trouble to get elected president, she'll be president.
O'REILLY: All right so, so what you're saying is that Bill Clinton if Hillary is elected, he's just going to go the movies and bowling every day. That's what you're saying?
CARVILLE: That's not what I'm saying.
O'REILLY: Anybody believe that, that's exactly what you said.
CARVILLE: No, I don't think she's going put -- I don't think she's going to put him in charge of anything, but certainly his counsel would be something valuable just like he you know he would be. But I think she's -- she's pretty much if she goes to the trouble of getting elected, I think she'll run the country herself.
O'REILLY: All right this liberal woman over at MSNBC said that Hillary can't be president because she took $200,000 from Goldman Sachs in speaking engagements.
CARVILLE: Right.
O'REILLY: Ok now, for you that would be like 18 speaking engagements, but for her it was just one.
CARVILLE: Right.
O'REILLY: Now, $200,000 from Goldman Sachs, who is the devil to the far left? I mean that's not good, is it?
CARVILLE: You know, she gave a speech. I'll give a speech to Pat Robertson's college. I don't --
O'REILLY: You talk to anybody yes.
CARVILLE: Yes of course.
O'REILLY: Not on Pat Robertson's and anybody but you don't care.
CARVILLE: I don't think --
O'REILLY: He's only going to pay you the -- go ahead.
CARVILLE: I think -- look, I think that's a nonstarter.
O'REILLY: Nonstarter.
CARVILLE: Yes. I don't think that that would go anywhere against her in a campaign.
O'REILLY: She's taken money from the devil.
CARVILLE: I think by the way the Democrats -- the Democrats are pretty united behind her, you know.
O'REILLY: Yes, they are.
CARVILLE: You know her numbers among Democrats and you've got somebody with an afternoon show on MSNBC, they've got to stir a little controversy. I mean I don't blame this woman, but I don't think anybody takes it very seriously either.
O'REILLY: All right, James Carville, everybody. And you might want to check out the new book by James and his wife Mary Matalin entitled "Love & War".
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