Spin Cycle

It says much that, the day after Obama becomes the first African-American to clinch a major party presidential nomination ever, Hillary remains at the center of the narrative.

Why couldn't she even concede the fact of his numbers last night? Why couldn't she give him his moment? What will she do now? When will she acknowledge reality? When she does, will she concede the nomination, or suspend her campaign and lurk with her delegates, ready to pounce if Obama stumbles? Does she want help with her money? Does she want to be veep?

It's still about her, because she wants it that way. She personally confirmed that she was "open" to becoming veep on the very day Obama clinched the nomination for a reason -- to make sure that she remained center stage. And talking points distributed to surrogates urge them to keep bringing it up::

"Today, Senator Clinton was asked whether she was open to the idea of running as Vice-President and repeated what she has said before: she will do whatever she can to ensure that Democrats take the White House back and defeat John McCain."

Is she serious? It is hard to believe that she wants to be second fiddle, following orders from a guy she clearly considers her inferior, for four years, after having been co-president. It is hard to believe that she seriously thinks Obama would be willing to take on the baggage of Bill Clinton. And, overall, she certainly knows that putting the veep question front and center right now is not helpful to Obama moving out of the primary into the fight with McCain -- it creates a powerful overhang.

So, why? Here's a theory:

She knows she won't be veep. It's an offer Obama can't accept. Since she has floated the idea that she wants it, she knows that when she doesn't get it her supporters will feel double-dissed, double-alienated. That will alienate them further from Obama, tie them closer to her. Whatever she says rhetorically about unifying, the damage will be deeper, more irreparable.

He'll be more likely to lose. Since she offered -- graciously!! -- to be vice president and was rejected, she can't be blamed. Her army will be intact, more attached than ever, for 2012.

That theory may be wrong. But the events of the past 48 hours make it clear that Hillary Clinton is still immersed in her own priorities, her own machinations, not in giving freedom of action to Barack Obama or helping to elect him.