Can the GOP defeat the Democrats in 2016?

Charles Krauthammer analyzes the campaign trail latest on 'The O'Reilly Factor'

This is a RUSH transcript from "The O'Reilly Factor," January 18, 2016. This copy may not be in its final form and may be updated.
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O'REILLY: Continuing now with our lead story: the Democrats debating last night in South Carolina. Joining us from Washington, Charles Krauthammer.

So did I miss anything in my Talking Points -- Charles?

CHARLES KRAUTHAMMER, AUTHOR: Amazingly, no. You know, this is the kind of even that's like Haley's comet. It doesn't happen often but when it happens it's quite remarkable you don't forget it.

The only thing I would emphasize is that imagine how weak a candidate is Hillary Clinton that she is desperately trying to run to the left of a guy who honeymooned in the Soviet Union. I mean he didn't even honeymoon in Cuba or Sandinistan Nicaragua. This guy was square red.

O'REILLY: That was his second wife though. We don't know where he honeymooned with the first one.

So he honeymoons in the Soviet Union -- that was a wild place. I think it was a Club Med there somewhere in Siberia.

KRAUTHAMMER: Right.

O'REILLY: You know, come on. Cut him a little slack. But Hillary Clinton -- go ahead.

KRAUTHAMMER: It does show a lack of imagination.

O'REILLY: Whatever. But, Hillary Clinton -- I was surprised because she is running as Barack Obama's twin.

KRAUTHAMMER: I know.

O'REILLY: She is hitching her star to his wagon.

KRAUTHAMMER: She is hitching her star to the wagon of a guy presiding over a country with a 27 percent right track number.

O'REILLY: So why is she doing that? Why would she do that?

KRAUTHAMMER: She is in a bit of a mini panic over Sanders' rise in Iowa and New Hampshire. I think it's completely irrational because there is no way that Sanders is going to depose her because after New Hampshire, he has got nowhere to go.

Nonetheless, I think she is afraid it will be dragged out, drain her of some of her funds. It won't allow her to direct her attention at the Republicans so to run to Sanders right -- to his left to get to the base.

The only way to do it -- you can't do it on policy -- so you've got to do it by wrapping yourself against -- around the mantel of a guy who did very well in '08 and '12 but it makes no sense because he is not popular in 2016.

O'REILLY: I know. I really was surprised that she did that. And the other thing -- and I don't know whether you feel as cynical as I do about it. But I'm sitting there on a Sunday night. On HBO they had the Godfather One and Two combined and I can't watch Fredo get it because I have to watch this.

And I'm listening to a guy, Bernie Sanders -- who believes every single word he says, by the way -- put forth a vision that is absolutely impossible constitutionally, electorally, legislatively, none of that could happen. It just couldn't happen.

It's like, you know, I mean I'm saying where is Rod Sterling? Is he back there somewhere? Did you get the same thing? I mean are you thinking the same thoughts?

KRAUTHAMMER: Well, I was. Because I too was watching "The Godfather" and may your first child be a masculine child -- you remember that line.

O'REILLY: It's a great line.

KRAUTHAMMER: Look, I found it almost impossible to watch the debate. And, of course, Bernie Sanders is so far out there. Look, his appeal is to the coastal elites and to college towns. Beyond that he has got none.

O'REILLY: But, Charles -- Charles, wait, wait, wait, just for a second. I can't understand how any American citizen can't just pull back a little and go, gee, if Bernie Sanders were president, almost every single multinational corporation would leave the building.

General Electric just left Connecticut because it raised its corporate tax and went to Massachusetts. 400 jobs just walked across the border. And Bernie Sanders is going to punish the banks and the drug companies? I mean there wouldn't be anybody left. Who is going to turn out the lights? Nobody because there wouldn't be any electrical grid.

And I'm sitting there going do you know anything? It's just insane.

KRAUTHAMMER: No. But here is where your imagination failed. You have got to understand, his constituency are college students who are protesting on campus for the serving of sushi because it's cultural appropriation of oppressed third world people. So you are talking about people who aren't even capable of the kind of economic calculations you are making.

O'REILLY: But he is still getting enough in the polls and millions of people will vote for him. I mean just to me I'm just going where are we?

Last word. Real quick.

KRAUTHAMMER: A lot of that -- a lot of that is just liberals who cannot swallow voting for Hillary Clinton on a matter of personality, honesty and trust. It's not all ideological. There are not that many far lefties in this country.

O'REILLY: All right. Charles -- thank you very much as always. We appreciate it.

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