photo credit: billypalooza

Note: The Swamp has an interesting article up about how Obama’s ‘no’ to the VP slot mirrors another Senator’s historic ‘no’ to the same question.

It started late last week and continued into the weekend, both Clinton’s calling for the possibility of a joint “dream ticket” with the obvious implication, they would love to have top billing. For most of Saturday and Sunday the Obama camp, undoubtedly mystified by the continued claims, did not have a great response other than to say “it is too early” and “I am running for the presidency not the VP.”

Yesterday the Obama camp finally seemed to catch on openly wondering how a candidate “who’s in second place is offering the vice presidency to the person who’s in first place.” In addition to the great line Obama started using a wonderful windup. With crowds he began noting he had won more states, won the popular vote and had more delegates, and he would recount these facts beautifully as if he too was bemused as the audience was, at the stunning illogic of the Clinton’s argument. He also began noting the weird illogic in the following, if Obama is not ready on day one, then why do they want to give him the second most power position in all the land?

There is of course, logic behind the seeming illogic, a somewhat clever ruse that may have actually worked, at least a little, for the Clinton campaign. Here is my take.

First and foremost there has been a reluctance in the Obama campaign to declare itself the frontrunner. For over a year now they have been the “underdog” the Rocky Balboa story of election 2008 and every win defied expectations while every loss has been written off under the logic that they shouldn’t be winning anything at all. That started to slowly change as the math played out, more states were won and suddenly team Obama needed to begin working as the inevitable, they had to take on the Clinton role.

Democrats in general have a special love for the underdog story. They like to paint Republicans as rich fat cats, the man, the boss you hate. They paint themselves as the reluctant heroes who triumph over the empire and they are so good at this narrative they even use it on one another. Clinton, of course, is the empire, a party machine with deep roots, big pockets and the stink of your unfeeling boss spreading through the air. You can always tell in the rhetoric, the actions, the body language that there is a little reluctance on the Obama team to take the reins of the frontrunner and the March 4th primaries helped show us why.

Suddenly, after being counted out as dead on arrival once again by the press, Hillary Clinton took two big prizes during the latest in a growing string of Super Tuesday battles. After weeks of “momentum” talk and a string of wins, Clinton found a way to come back and even seem like an underdog herself, one who was rising to the occasion. For all of five minutes or so, things seemed like they could change, then the math came in as did Wyoming and the status quo returned, or did it?

Enter the Clinton ruse, the talk of a VP slot. Politics is foremost perception and little else after that. Dean’s scream, George Bush Sr. looking at his watch during a debate, Reagan masterfully negotiating a deal for Iranian hostages, campaigning and media coverage create frames through which we view the candidates. The candidate who does the best job of defining their opponent in a negative way, wins. Obama and Edwards were precise in turning every one of Clinton’s strengths into a weakness, she has been a little less successful until now in doing the same.

After winning Wyoming, the story changed over the weekend for Obama. Then monday he cleverly shot off some lines but could not avoid a reality, the winner of the popular vote, the states and the delegates was playing defense in a time when he should be nothing but offense. Every minute the media spent talking about the possibility of a dream ticket with Obama as the warm up act took time away from covering his wins, lowered his stature and yes put the thought in the heads of those in Pennsylvania and the remaining states that they could have everything they want and more. They could have experience, style, great rhetoric, tuff as nails street-fighting and a dynasty they aren’t entirely done with.

I call it a “somewhat” clever ruse for one simple fact. There is plenty of time between now and Pennsylvania and today Mississippi will undoubtedly bring another win for the Obama campaign. A win that could easily wipe away the last three days of discussion and turn the attention back to the reality that Obama currently is as close to a frontrunner as this race will allow for. I watched last night as pundits bemoaned the Clinton logic but they were playing their part in the affair. Every mention of the argument, even when trashing it and the two figures who forwarded it, only played in. That is the beauty of perception, if you play the game well even the heaps of scorn and negative feedback to your own stature only further the cause.

I don’t know that it is enough or that it will have the needed effect but my thought is, this is not the last ruse we will see from the Clinton campaign.