MSNBC "Hardball with Chris Matthews" - Transcript: Elections
Interview
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MATTHEWS: Back with the roundtable.
U.S. Congressman Jack Kingston of Georgia just joined us. He`s a Republican from Georgia.
And Michelle Bernard, of course, and Perry Bacon stay with us.
Congressman, we`ve only got five minutes here, but everybody who watches this show is keen with what`s going to happen in a week and a half now. I look at these undecideds, 10 percent to 12 percent to 14 percent of these states, in these close races, the people say they`re undecided.
What more do they want, to know who to vote for?
REP. JACK KINGSTON (R), GEORGIA: I think they`re decided. I think when some poll calls them, they`re just a little bit tentative and they`re saying, I don`t know, they don`t recognize the group or whatever. I think they know who they`re going to vote for, and I think that`s why modern polling is so difficult. You combine that with the cell phone factor, not become able to get to the right people, I do think all of these races are just razor thin at the moment. But --
MATTHEWS: Is that bad news for the liberals? Because conservatives tend to be more suspicious and somebody calling --
(LAUGHTER)
KINGSTON: I think it could be. I think it could be.
But I also think that, you know, right now, the party in the White House is going to be at a disadvantage, just going in there. And I think that`s probably what`s going to save the Republicans just going in.
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BERNARD: Don`t you think there`s a possibility that undecided are just not going to vote? I mean, I think there`s a large part of the populace that just isn`t excited. I don`t want to upset you, but excited about who they got to vote for. Democrats have done well in midterms and they`ve also done poorly in midterms. I think this might be a referendum on the president. What happens nationally over the next week and a half, how the president handles it.
I mean, in Colorado, you`ve got people telling pollsters, that although they voted for the president twice, they`re voting for a Republican this time because they don`t like the president. That could happen nationwide.
MATTHEWS: Yes, and "The Denver Post."
BERNARD: Yes.
KINGSTON: Well, they do like that balance.
But, you know, on Perry`s point about the governors being polarizing, that means their base is going to show up. And they`re -- they probably already voted. And I think that is going to be a big difference.
I think the base voters will show up. And I think, particularly speaking in Georgia and some of the other Southern states that Harry Reid and Barack Obama are the issue. They may not have that enthusiasm or passion for the challenger or the outsider or the Republican, but the reality is they`re tired of Harry Reid.
MATTHEWS: Georgia`s a hard state. You`re an expert on Georgia having
run statewide.
I have a sense that Bill Clinton and Hillary Clinton -- Hillary Clinton and Bill Clinton -- are now thinking of the Southern states they can win next time. They`re spending time with Alison Grimes down in Kentucky is they want to pluck that one back. Bill Clinton used to carry that. He carried Arkansas. He wants that back. He was down there.He wants Tennessee.
Does he want your state? Because e got it once. Bill Clinton got in `92.
KINGSTON: And you may remember that James Carville, his consultant was Zell Miller, the governor of Georgia`s consultant, as well.
So, Bill Clinton knows Georgia. But the reality is, Hillary is not Bill Clinton. And I think that`s going to be a big difference.
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BACON: Demographics, Chris -- Georgia, black vote. Increasing Hispanic voter. Georgia is the new swing state.
Kentucky, Arkansas, Hillary Clinton is not going to win those states.
(CROSSTALK)
BACON: But Georgia is moving. Nunn and Carter are both close there.
MATTHEWS: But you disagree with that?
(CROSSTALK)
KINGSTON: Well, no, I`ll tell you -- it`s machine voting in that case. And I think the minority of messages, let`s get out and vote, Sunday vote and all of that.
(CROSSTALK)
MATTHEWS: People are (INAUDIBLE) Democrat.
KINGSTON: But I want to mention in terms of those people who cling to their guns, those are my folks. We will show up and we will vote against Harry Reid. And Hillary, we do not believe to be Bill.
BERNARD: My folks are going to show up, too. So we`re going to see.
(LAUGHTER)
(CROSSTALK)
MATTHEWS: Anyway, Congressman Kingston, Michelle Bernard, thank you for joining us. And my friend, Perry Bacon.
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