David Axelrod said Thursday that Hillary Clinton needs to provide her "rationale" for running for president if she chooses to launch another bid at the White House.
Speaking
at a breakfast hosted by The Wall Street Journal, Axelrod — a former senior adviser to President Barack Obama — said Clinton must change up her strategy from 2008, when she came up short to Obama in trying to earn the Democratic spot on the presidential ticket.
"I think the danger for Secretary Clinton is that, as was the case in 2007, her candidacy is out in front of the rationale for it," Axelrod said. "She should not rely too much on that we do have an electoral vote advantage and demographic advantages."
Axelrod also said Clinton must "get out of the cocoon of inevitability" and shore up her messaging if she wants to be the next president.
Axelrod, who worked for the 2008 Obama campaign before securing a job at the White House when the former Illinois Senator was elected, said Democrats need to put together a stronger economic message over the next two years before the 2016 elections. Democrats lost control of the Senate in last week's midterms, while Republicans also picked up several House seats.
"Tactics are not a substitute for a compelling message," Axelrod said. "That's a lesson that the Democratic Party should learn."
Democrats have been pointing fingers in the wake of the GOP's performance last week. On Thursday, before Harry Reid was voted in as Senate Minority Leader,
he was blasted by Senate Democrats frustrated with the party's direction under his leadership.
"What was really brought up was the frustration that the whole body was dysfunctional," Montana Sen. Jon Tester said. "We've got to figure out a way to make it functional again to work for the American people. I think we take as much blame as the Republicans do."
As for Clinton, she has yet to confirm her candidacy for 2016. But
polls conducted in the last several months show that many Americans would support her if she decides to run.
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