Could Hillary take Texas in 2016?

>>> the old saying goes, don't mess with texas . but hillary clinton could turn the lone star state upside down. that's how the country looks in november of last year. 26 states went blue for president obama . 24 were red for romney. but today, folks in texas are starting to look a little blue , and it's all over hillary . the gop staff predicts if clinton runs for president in 2016 she could turn the solid red state a nice state of purple. he said, and i'm quoting, if she is nominee, i would say that this is a lead republican state, but not a solid republican state. i don't know anyone nationally who is scoffing at this. the national party leadership is aware and tells me they're taking it seriously. in other words, houston, the gop has a big problem. joining me now, pennsylvania governor ed rendell and maria teresa kumar. governor, led me go to you first. 40 years later, do colorado it go democrat again?

>> the demographic make-up of texas , you know, is changing rather dramatically. becoming more and more hispanics. you combine the hispanices with african-americans and working class whites who hillary clinton has appeal to and you saw in the 2008 campaign how she knocked it out of the park with working class whites. she could put together a coalition that could really seriously threaten to take texas . i think it is not out of the question at all. i think that's true for the louisiana, indiana, and a number of states that are viewed as traditional republican states. i think they are would be in play. i think montana would be in play.

>> you think she could take states like that? those are big red states. i concede she's popular but do you think she could sustain that popularity? with states like that, governor?

>> sure. i mean, point carried montana once, as you recall, rev. barack obama carried one electoral vote in nebraska. it is not unheard of. and i think as texas continues to change every youfour year increment it could go blue. blue for senator, blue for senate. and i think hillary could do it. she appeals to working class white woman dramatically so.

>> maria, will hispanics overwheove overwhelmingly vote for hillary if she runs.

>> she has a brand recognition within latino communities and latinos lead the demographic in the polls. let's go back it texas . reverend, in texas alone you have 3.8 million eligible latino voters. of those 3.8, 2.1r unregistered. you pair that with a lot of single women in texas and you have an incred ill coalition in the likes you haven't seen in texas in a long time. there is an organization down there annie's list, basically the make sake of the former governor from texas , ann richards . they have an incredible pool of not only bringing in money but also pulling in money but also bringing in grass roots organizations. i can tell you if hillary says she tosses her name in the ring, they will activate bringing in funding from local from within texas but from outside the state to be sure she wins.

>> i'm not so sure.

>> no?

>> vice president biden , there is still speculation that biden could run. and biden , he was yesterday rallying for gun control legislation and talking about the threat of political survival for supporting gun control or look at this.

>> i say to my colleagues, who will watch this, listen to this, i say to you, if you're concerned about your political survival, you should be concerned about the survival of our children and guess what, i believe the price to be paid politically to those who refuse to act, who refuse to step forward.

>> i mean, he's been a real power broker. he's leading the charge in the push for gun control . he has been instrumental in the budget negotiations. he was the first in the administration to openly support same-sex marriage. and he lobbied the president for draw downs in iraq and afghanistan. wouldn't biden be a formidable candidate?

>> and let's not forget, also a champion for obama care and finding himself in the immigration debate . however, i think what vice president biden is doing is trying to create a legacy. in the likelihood that hillary runs, i doubt he would match himself up against her. however, she decides not to run, i think he is clearing the path for himself to absolutely run. he has an incredible name recognition increasingly among the latino . he went to colorado several times, arizona several times and even texas . all recognizing he is looking for the latino vote. if hillary runs, i don't believe he would throw his hat in the ring. he has plan b of leaving a good strong legacy.

>> governor, now i concede again, that former secretary clinton is very popular. announcing this week she will go out and start speaking. getting $200,000 a speech, even more than for her husband. she is eight point in the polls above marco rubio . six points over jeb bush and paul ryan . nationally, she even is four points over chris christie . but is it a mistake if she does not, in a year or so, come out and deal with issues and not deal with inevitablity which some people felt caught her in '08?

>> yeah. there's no question. i think if hillary want to be a candidate for president, she has to come out february or march of next year without any ifs, ands or buts about it. and i think she will. joe biden is a great american and joe has appeal in many segments of the party in the coalition that builds our party. but in the end, you can't buy history. if hillary clinton runs in 2016 , history will be on the line. and secondly, joe biden and hillary clinton basically have the same fund-raising base. if you look at the top hundred biden fund-raisers and the top hundred hillary clinton fund-raisers, basically the same person. and i think those fund-raisers would be with hillary . it is very tough for joe. i sort of agree, if she runs, i don't think he does run. but i also believe there is a legitimate chance that hillary may not run.

>> i do too.

>> in which case joe biden is doing all the right things.

>> governor ed rendell and maria teresa kumar, thanks for your time tonight. have a good weekend. don't forget, this is all speculation. we just got this president re-elected. we have a lot to do with president obama .

>>> ahead, we are throwing our own oscar party here at "politicsnation." academy awards got a little political this year. victor!