In an appearance on CNBC on Thursday, long-time network personality Larry Kudlow took on former Rep. Barney Frank (D-MA) over what could happen in the 2016 presidential political cycle.
According to Kudlow, there is a pathway for current GOP presidential front-runner Donald Trump to win the nomination.
“First of all, I think if Donald Trump finishes second in Iowa, if he wins New Hampshire and he wins South Carolina, and I think those are plausible scenarios, he is going to be the GOP nominee. He is going to be the nominee,” Kudlow said. “I think he’s very close to getting to that spot, running TV ads as you know.”
Kudlow went on add if it were a Trump versus Democratic presidential front-runner Hillary Clinton match-up in the 2016 general election, he sees Trump winning going away because Clinton is a flawed candidate.
“I think Trump beats Clinton, substantially,” he replied “I think that Hillary is a weak candidate. She’s got so many weights around her neck and ankles, including her husband, including Barack Obama, including her flawed diplomacy with respect to Iran and Libya, including the al Qaeda issues, including by the way, the economy. Let’s face it. You have a two-term president, alright. Then the person succeeding that two-term president inherits the presidency. So she has to inherit Obama’s presidency. I think Obama is extremely unpopular today and will become more so. I think those are big minuses for Mrs. Clinton.
That drew the ire of Frank, who called Kudlow’s argument a “partisan diatribe” and insisted Trump wouldn’t be the nominee and that if he were, Clinton would defeat him easily.
Exchange as follows:
FRANK: Well, I think the more interesting thing that occurs to me is Larry versus reality. Frankly I’m disappointed. I never heard such a partisan diatribe in what’s supposed to be a thoughtful conversation.
KUDLOW: That wasn’t a diatribe. I actually mean that.
FRANK: Larry, please don’t interrupt me. Come on, look.
KUDLOW: I’m serious, I’m serious.
FRANK: can we get ground rules set here. Larry, the constant interruptions, it really isn’t helpful.
KUDLOW: Yeah.
FRANK: It was a diatribe against Hillary Clinton including great exaggerations on all counts in terms of diplomacy with Iran, let’s start with that. As a matter of fact, the greatest progress Iran was making with regard to nuclear weapons uninterrupted was under George W. Bush. I would have liked to have had an earlier or even better resolution, but the Obama record regarding Iran is better than the Bush record regarding Iran. There are realities that you have to deal with. As to the economy, once again, comparison very much favors the Democrats between the bush years and where we are today. And the argument that Donald Trump is going to beat Hillary Clinton is fantasy. He has unpopular marks very, very high, huge segments of the electorate aren’t there. There are already Republican candidates who said they couldn’t support him. So as I said, as a Democrat I would love to see Trump. I don’t think it would be the best thing for the country. The notion that he is going to win — he is — here is what I will make this prediction: Unrealistically trump is the nominee it’s going to put Republican candidates for Congress and governor all over the country in the worst bind they were in since Barry Goldwater with a similar result.
Follow Jeff Poor on Twitter @jeff_poor
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