Looking ahead to 2016

>>> well, will they or won't they? it's a 2016 speculation game that's never going to go away, at least until the filing deadline for the new hampshire primary. hillary clinton and chris christie both tried to downplay their prospects for running in interviews with barbara walters .

>> what would it take to convince to you run in 2016 ?

>> that's all hypothetical because right now have i no intention of running.

>> how do you think you're going to feel in 2016 ?

>> i have no idea.

>> she gets these interviews. joining me now, political reporter jonathan martin . have i to say, you have to be careful not to pop your peas. barbara walters get these interviews, it's not news, i'm doing a holiday thing. they all sucker in to it because it's a way to talk to a nonpolitical office. hillary clinton 's response was to me rather interesting and i think more honest than people realize.

>> yeah.

>> she's more undecided on this than i think folks realize.

>> everybody you talked to around hillary, if you asked her right now, probably not going to do it. but they say if you ask her a year from now --

>> after the rest.

>> she's exhausted. but after she's been down for a year, you're waking up and it's tuesday morning, you don't have anything to do. but at some point when you're as passionate about politics and public service as the clintons are, you have to wonder what's next.

>> if i told you in december 2008 that bit end of 2012 the two most popular democrats in the country would both be named clinton, look at this. positive rating bill clinton , 60-24. hillary clinton , 58-28. if you can't beat 'em, join them. it's what bill clinton deep sided to do and he went all in for obama in a way people didn't think was possible and it paid for him him.

>> both of their -- it's why people like us can never say never. there's something about them that draws you back in.

>> it's not just reporters. clearly it's the public.

>> we've all talked about this. i always think the best indicator is whether you might run for president again, you've run before. you've got it. it's the carville. you never lose that fire. not really talking about it by biden is the same way. i don't know that we rule out joe biden . he's run for president twice before in his own right.

>> in many ways it's the only -- barbara walters has to ask the question. it's almost easier than sometimes a beat reporter asking the question when it comes to chris christie and what may be the thing that sort of is a cloud that follows him around about running for national office. here's the question about his personal weight.

>> there are people who say that you couldn't be president because you're so heavy. what do you say to them?

>> that's ridiculous. i mean, that's ridiculous. i don't know what the basis for this is.

>> i think they are worried about your health.

>> well, i've done this job pretty well and i think people watched me for the last number of weeks with hurricane sandy and doing 18 hours days and getting right back up the next day and being just as effective in the job so i don't think that will be a problem.

>> if he runs for president, the version of where his tax returns are going to be, let's see your medical records .

>> dr. lawrence k. altman, a long-time reporter, who is a doctor, who is prania when it comes to this, you can see them say show us the records, what was your last doctor visit, blood pressure, et cetera , et cetera . i do think that the era that we're in where we have calorie counts on menus, where mcdonald's is sort of losing value, greek yogurt is taking off, we're in this more health focused era. people are more cognizant of obesity issues than they've been in a long, long time. but you're absolutely right, chuck. this will be the obsession --

>> it will be his tax returns essentially.

>> in terms of being compliant.

>> and that answer won't -- the truth of the matter is it's not ridiculo ridiculous. ultimately the health and well being of the president, you're electing the most powerful person in the world. and this is --

>> by the way, driving around doing this, yes, he's worked 18-hour day, i'm sorry, it is different. we all work 18, 20-hour days. if you're traveling and doing it, it's a lot harder on your health than if you do it within a confined geographic area .

>> being governor of new jersey is difficult. the level of stress being a governor of a state versus being the president of the united states is not the same thing.

>> let's talk quickly about fiscal policy here. john boehner is just -- he's trying to triangulate here a little bit. and he's trying to bring his conference along. he is begging the white house to show him a path out. and the white house is sitting there going why do we do you any favors? you can understand the politics of it going why? why should do i you a favor, you did me no favors but at some point somebody is going to have to say okay, uncle, let's do this over here.

>> the polling that you guys and the journal had would indicate that the public wants to get a deal done but as we know, there was that great jonathan weisman piece in the "times" this week that pointed out half the republican conference in the house was re-elected with 55% of the vote. the pointing being the political leverage with those members of congress come from the primary, not from the general election and that's what drives it.

>> it is splitting the party. the guys that are statewide office holders are going to the house republicans you're killing party as a national -- and they are. if they're not careful, they are.

>> you guys heard about it this morning, i wrote about it. the republican brand, republicans this morning are pointing to a number that says 56% of people will blame both sides equally. that is true but the republican brand in there -- 17% of people had something positive to say about republicans, 65 says something negative. you get into a pr war where president obama is pretty popular and the other side is incredibly unpopular. i don't care who blames whom.

>> but it shows you there is a -- like i said, i had a republican say to me, can't go any lower.

>> i guess. but is that a way back to the white house ?

>> they argue it's leverage.

>> i guess.

>> a form of leverage.

>> the primary is the great story of our time. the primary now trumps everything and especially on the republican side .

>> jonathan martin , chris cillezza, always fun.