"Fear not, till Birnam Wood do come to Dunsinane"

The Politico begins with a soliloquy. What does Hillary want? “Senator Hillary Clinton asked the question herself on the night of the last primaries in early June … Mr. Obama has given Mrs. Clinton a speaking role on the Tuesday night of the convention.” Somehow I think she wants a little more than that; and the Politico thinks so too.

“But she made it clear in a recent chat with supporters — which is now on YouTube — that she is steeped in negotiations over how to salve the wounds of her disappointed supporters so that they don’t stray in November. She suggested she may allow her name to be placed in nomination, and also that her supporters don’t need her permission to do that on their own.”

For the first time in months, the traded price for the proposition that Hillary Clinton will be the next Democratic Party nominee rose in the Intrade prediction markets; nearly doubling from a rock bottom of 2.5% to nearly 5%. What’s going on? In the video “a woman asks Mrs. Clinton what happens if her name is placed in nomination at the convention and she actually wins. ‘That’s not going to happen,’ Mrs. Clinton replies. ‘What we want to have happen is for Senator Obama to be nominated by a unified convention of Democrats'”

My translation? Hillary regards the result of the primary process as merely indicative. Real legitimacy is going to be conferred in Denver. ‘Of course’ Obama is going to win; but he doesn’t, then however she may regret it, there will be no avoiding the fact, quivering like newly gutted fish in the sink, that she will be the official standard bearer. Can you see any other interpretation?

she seems to give a green light to her supporters to go ahead and make whatever mischief they might: “I’ve made it very clear that I’m supporting Senator Obama and we’re working cooperatively on a lot of different matters,” she says. “But delegates can decide to do this on their own, they don’t need permission.” Still, she concludes, “it would be better if we had a plan and we put it in place and executed it.”

Is that a threat or is it a promise?

Tip Jar.