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Matthews: Good Evening, this Chris Matthews live from Washington tonight and coverage of Election Night 2016 begins right now. The campaign between Vice President Chris Christie and Congresswoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz. It is a campaign that could spell history tonight if the Democratic candidate wins. Let us turn to Rachel Maddow who has this evening's first projections.
Maddow: Thanks Chris and good evening. Tonight we can start off with some predictable projections. The state of Vermont will go for Congresswoman Schultz. For Vice President Christie we project that he will carry Kentucky, South Carolina and Indiana.
Schultz: 3
Christie 28
Matthews: Thank you Rachel, as we await results in the other states I think we should mention Pres. Romney at this time. Here's a man who was elected in a somewhat decisive election in 2012, he brought unemployment down to where it stands today at 6.9% and it looks to be dropping. Confidence is up, why would he run for reelection? Let's me ask this to Joe Scarborough.
Scarborough: Chris he probably could have won in a landslide tonight, but he chose to put country above party which many Americans admire. Look this isn't LBJ in 68 saying I won't run, crap, this was a guy who wants to effectively govern and frankly did not want to waste time campaigning.
Matthews: But isn't he hurting his legacy by not running. I mean no one will argue that he hasn't been a successful president in terms of what he set out to do, but couldn't he be a great president if he served eight years?
Scarborough: No, I don't think so Chris. Romney's legacy will be that he got America's economy going again, and restored confidence in government, in politicians and in America. He'll be admired I think for the fact that he stepped down and wanted to continue governing and saw he could be effective in that way.
Matthews: Yeah, but if he loses tonight, meaning Christie won't that Hurt Romney's legacy.
Scarborough: It would hurt him Chris, but it won't and that is because Chris Christie isn't going to loose. If you want to be a political psychologist, then I think Romney looked at the field, saw it wasn't Hillary Clinton who was going to be the nominee and figured he could sit it out and pave the way for Christie who could end up being president for the next eight years and from there have someone like a Rubio serve. I think Romney saw that if he ran and won big much more would be expected and any misstep could derail him. I think he's looking at the future and tonight the future is bright for the GOP.
Matthews: We need to go to Rachel again who has a projection to make.
Maddow: Thanks Chris, MSNBC is now calling Georgia and the state of Virginia for Governor Christie. No doubt two important states for him tonight as he heads towards 270 votes.
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Maddow: MSNBC is projecting for Congresswoman Schultz: Connecticut, Massachusetts, Delaware, Maryland, Illinois and the District of Columbia.
For Mr. Christie we are calling: Tennessee, Oklahoma, Mississippi, Missouri, Alabama and New Jersey. New Jersey nearly went for the Romney Christie ticket but went to Pres. Obama by a margin of 50.9%-49.2%, tonight Christie looks to carry at least 51% of the vote.
Schultz: 57
Christie: 119
Matthews: That's some nice electoral change for Chris Christie. He's got some big states and,
Maddow: Sorry Chris, but MSNBC is now projecting that Vice President Christie will carry the state of Florida. 52%-46%.
Matthews: That one has to sting. I knew it would be a swing state, but Christie is taking it by a strong margin. Can Congresswoman Schultz win this thing, Lawrence?
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O'Donnell: The problem Chris is the map starts to get a little tighter. Florida is a state that nine out of ten times goes with the winner. The second problem for Schultz is she's a member of the house. She's going up against the Vice President of the United States, who is serving with an extremely popular President. The last time we elected a president who served in the House was Abraham Lincoln.
Matthews: I'm just getting word that Christie has just carried the state of North Carolina, which makes it almost an entire sweep of the deep south, with Arkansas and Louisiana still voting, but we expect they'll go for him as well. So how does she win this joe?
Scarborough: Well she starts by carrying New Hampshire and shockingly Maine. Maine is traditionally a Democratic State as far back as 1992 with Bill Clinton and tonight Christie is polling strong there. Now she has to take those two, Pennsylvania which Romney got in 12, Ohio, then move to New Mexico, Nevada and take Colorado back. Not impossible, but certainly much more difficult as states drift away.
Matthews: Is there an enthusiasm gap with the Democrats this time? It seems that all the energy is with the Republican.
Scarborough: I think so Chris, and here's why. In 2012 the Democrats were rallied, despite of the economy, republicans were mildly excited, but enough that they did not stay home. The shift is Romney has turned the country around and that is partisan it's fact. Unemployment is down, and there are those on the left who say, well it's Obama's policies. Well, if they had worked it would his successor running for election tonight.
Yes it is historic that a woman has been nominated by a major party and is running for the presidency, but I don't feel there is a sense of urgency in terms of a historical urgency, like there was with Barack Obama in 2008. The fact is maybe and this may sound rough, but perhaps there isn't enough excitement for this female candidate. Perhaps if it was Hillary Clinton the race might have been different. The fact of the matter is, barring some event tonight Chris Christie is going to win.
Matthews: How has the Republican Party changed since the days of Bush and even the Tea Party, which no one seems to talk about anymore.
Scarborough: Chris, Mitt Romney's election assured that moderate republicans are still alive and that they have a place in the discussion. For as I've pointed out time and time again, craziness does not win elections. It does not win on the right or the left and what Mitt Romney was able to articulate was conservative principles and being able to stand by them, but also govern and get something done for the people. I like it how the Republican party is able to talk about science again and climate change, that we're not worn down in the social issues. We're now able to discuss openly and honestly with the democrats about fiscal policy and that's always what the debate should be about. And with Chris Christie you have another northern republican making a comeback.
Matthews: What does Christie have to do if he is elected?
Scarborough: I think he needs to address the deficit, because it is still a problem. Romney has lessened it, but we need to move towards bringing it to the point of nonexistence and move towards balancing the budget. I think if Christie continue with what Romney has started then the budget could be balanced by the end of his first term, and maybe sooner.
Matthews: Will the Republicans still control Congress after tonight?
Scarborough: By all accounts, yes.
Maddow: Cutting in gentlemen, MSNBC has another projection to make, two in the state of New Hampshire. First Senator Kelly Ayotte will win reelection, defeating challenger Steve Manchard by a margin of 60%-38%. And in the presidential race Mr. Christie will carry the state as well.
So now with Arkansas which we just projected Christie leads Schultz with 173-57.
Let us just look to the states still in question at this hour:
OH:
R: 52.3%
D: 47.9%
PA:
R: 51.9%
D: 48.8%
ME:
R: 49.8%
D: 49.1%
And it appears MSNBC can now project that Mr. Christie will carry Ohio as well.