MSNBC’s Chris Matthews questioned Monday on “Hardball” why Hillary Clinton is pursuing a narrow path to the 270 electoral votes needed to win the White House and giving up on winning either chamber of Congress in the process.
Matthews asked his political panel “what kind of presidency” Clinton is after if she won’t go for a “broad strategy” in an attempt to win a majority in the House or 60 Democratic votes in the Senate. The host was making the argument after a piece appeared in The New York Times detailing Clinton’s campaign strategy, which is based off the Obama coalition and not the strategy employed by her husband, former President Bill Clinton.
“If Hillary is right to go to the left and work her base, get her electoral votes that way, what does that do to the Democrats chances of every carrying the Congress again?” Matthews asked. “Because according to The [New York] Times… They said this is not a broad strategy to grab the House.”
“They might squeak the Senate back, but no 60 votes [in the Senate] and 218 in the House, therefore no legislation, no budget, no tax changes, no physical changes, no policy changes,” Matthews asked. “What kind of presidency is that?”
The Washington Post’s Anne Gearan echoed his point, saying she is skeptical this strategy will have coattails to bring other Democrats into Congress to help her pass legislation.
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