Clinton’s kabuki theater

Justin Sullivan/Getty Images Last night on MSNBC, Newsweek columnist Howard Fineman floated an interesting theory about the question du jour: What does Hillary Clinton want? According to his sources, the former first lady has no intention of becoming Barack Obama’s running mate. The rumors, the leaks, the tantalizing hints — it’s all a political game. ...

By , a former managing editor of Foreign Policy.
594766_080604_clinton2.jpg
594766_080604_clinton2.jpg

Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

Last night on MSNBC, Newsweek columnist Howard Fineman floated an interesting theory about the question du jour: What does Hillary Clinton want? According to his sources, the former first lady has no intention of becoming Barack Obama’s running mate. The rumors, the leaks, the tantalizing hints — it’s all a political game.

In Fineman’s view, Clinton wants to compel Obama to ask her so that she can make a public show of saying, “No, thanks.” That way, she’ll get what she sees as her due, but Obama won’t be stuck with a veep choice that many of his backers would find insufferable. Plus, her most ardent supporters would be let down a little easier. Other MSNBC panelists, such as Tim Russert, Andrea Mitchell, and Tom Brokaw, said this was nonsense. According to their sources, Hillary really does want to be Obama’s number two. Of course, for Fineman’s plan to work, the New York senator would have to convince everyone that she is seriously considering the job.

Either possibility could explain why Clinton refused to concede defeat last night and even claimed a victory in the popular vote. She wants maximum leverage so that Obama has little choice but to accede to her demands. (A third possibility is that Clinton plans to fight this thing all the way to the convention. Democratic Party elders are trying to forestall this option by forcing all superdelegates to come to a final decision by Friday.)

My bet, though, is that Hillary has yet to make up her mind and is trying to preserve maximum flexibility. After all, she doesn’t know what Obama will offer in a face-to-face meeting, nor has she had time to canvass her supporters. She’s also a few million dollars in debt. Right now, she’s like a golfer with her finger in the wind, trying to figure out what angle to take. It may not be gracious, but her strategy does have its own brutal logic to it.

Blake Hounshell is a former managing editor of Foreign Policy.

Read More On Hillary Clinton

More from Foreign Policy

The USS Nimitz and Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force and South Korean Navy warships sail in formation during a joint naval exercise off the South Korean coast.
The USS Nimitz and Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force and South Korean Navy warships sail in formation during a joint naval exercise off the South Korean coast.

America Is a Heartbeat Away From a War It Could Lose

Global war is neither a theoretical contingency nor the fever dream of hawks and militarists.

A protester waves a Palestinian flag in front of the U.S. Capitol in Washington, during a demonstration calling for a ceasefire in Gaza. People sit and walk on the grass lawn in front of the protester and barricades.
A protester waves a Palestinian flag in front of the U.S. Capitol in Washington, during a demonstration calling for a ceasefire in Gaza. People sit and walk on the grass lawn in front of the protester and barricades.

The West’s Incoherent Critique of Israel’s Gaza Strategy

The reality of fighting Hamas in Gaza makes this war terrible one way or another.

Biden dressed in a dark blue suit walks with his head down past a row of alternating U.S. and Israeli flags.
Biden dressed in a dark blue suit walks with his head down past a row of alternating U.S. and Israeli flags.

Biden Owns the Israel-Palestine Conflict Now

In tying Washington to Israel’s war in Gaza, the U.S. president now shares responsibility for the broader conflict’s fate.

U.S. President Joe Biden is seen in profile as he greets Chinese President Xi Jinping with a handshake. Xi, a 70-year-old man in a dark blue suit, smiles as he takes the hand of Biden, an 80-year-old man who also wears a dark blue suit.
U.S. President Joe Biden is seen in profile as he greets Chinese President Xi Jinping with a handshake. Xi, a 70-year-old man in a dark blue suit, smiles as he takes the hand of Biden, an 80-year-old man who also wears a dark blue suit.

Taiwan’s Room to Maneuver Shrinks as Biden and Xi Meet

As the latest crisis in the straits wraps up, Taipei is on the back foot.