For decades, Democratic strategist James Carville has been linked closely with Bill and Hillary Clinton, but he said Thursday morning that if the former secretary of state does have challenges when it comes to this year's election, and she'll have to come to terms with Bernie Sanders' rival campaign for the presidential nomination.
"I think you've got to let this play out a little bit, you know," Carville told
MSNBC's "Morning Joe" program. "Bernie Sanders does not need Hillary Clinton, because he's not going to be the nominee. Hillary Clinton needs Bernie Sanders because she's going to be the nominee. You have to understand walking into that negotiation you're not in an equal position."
The same thing happened in 2008, said Carville, when Clinton and Barack Obama were campaigning against each other.
"I don't think it's going to be an overly huge problem but it's going to be something that's going to have to be dealt with," said Carville.
Meanwhile, Carville said he thinks that the Clinton campaign will need to bring Sanders into the fold, just as Clinton joined with Obama.
"The Democratic Party is decided by the 3 million votes," said Carville. "They want Mrs. Clinton to be the nominee. Bernie is a phenomenon, they are young, energetic, voters in November. Every vote Bernie Sanders gets in the spring here is somebody you want to be voting for you in November."
Meanwhile, Clinton will need to improve her narrative, said Carville, and promise more change if she is to compete against Trump.
"Her whole life has been about changing things," said Carville. "In some ways, she's been almost a pioneer in her career. They have to tell that story better."
In addition, he acknowledged that Clinton's negative ratings are higher than he'd like, but he believes that will be turned around, and that he expects to be addressed as the campaign goes on.
But at the same time, Carville said, "it's not like Trump doesn't have problems."
Sandy Fitzgerald ✉
Sandy Fitzgerald has more than three decades in journalism and serves as a general assignment writer for Newsmax covering news, media, and politics.
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