CNN is reporting, based on word from Hillary Clinton’s “inner circle” is pushing for some kind of “compromise,” and that “preliminary … formal talks” have begun about a Clinton exit strategy. TPM’s David Kurtz posted this video from CNN this morning:
Listening to the report, CNN’s Suzanne Malveaux reports that the Clinton campaign is outlining three possible scenarios:
1. Obama offers the VP slot to someone other than Clinton. According to Malveaux’s report, the Clinton campaign would find this “completely unacceptable,” and said it would be an offensive dismissal of the success she’s had during the process. According to CNN’s report, the Clinton campaign would be so insulted by this slight, it might prompt a “civil war within the party.”
2. Obama would publicly announce that he wants Clinton to be his running mate, with the understanding that she would turn it down. This, according to Malveaux, is complicated by the notion among Obama insiders that they can’t necessarily feel as though they can trust her — they could strike a deal, only to see Clinton announce she would accept the offer.
3. Obama and Clinton get together and hash out various steps Obama can take to make Clinton feel satisfied, including possible help with debt-retirement and/or support for Clinton to become Senate Majority Leader.
Clinton, Malveaux reported, is “aware” of the formal discussions that have begun between the two campaigns, though officials in both camps have denied that any such talks are underway. Malveaux added that the talks haven’t exactly been going smoothly, describing them as “difficult.”
I find all of this rather confusing.
First, the CNN report makes it sound as if Clinton doesn’t want to be Obama’s running mate, she just wants to be asked to be Obama’s running mate. I can appreciate the notion that there are some powerful egos at play, but this seems a little silly.
Second, are we really talking about some kind of elaborate blackmail scheme? To avoid a “civil war,” Clinton needs to feel like she’s been duly respected?
Third, I’m not at all convinced that there really are “formal” talks underway. That’s what CNN reported, but there’s no evidence to support it. Indeed, even in Malveaux’s report, there was no indication of who is talking to whom, where, when, and under what circumstances. Instead, Malveaux’s report seemed to focus on what Clinton’s “inner circle” is thinking about if and when there are “formal” talks.
That said, it’s possible — and I’m really just speculating here — that Clinton insiders are dishing to Malveaux like this as a way of sending a signal: “Obama campaign, we’re open to some kind of end-game compromise here. Pick up the phone.”
I’d just add one side observation here. After seeing the TPM item about the CNN report, I started poking around to see what other news outlets were saying about these “preliminary … formal talks.” I was surprised at what I found: nothing.
There are a bunch of outlets I check for campaign news, and none of them mentioned anything about this. Not a word at the Politico, the NYT’s Caucus blog, the WaPo’s Chris Cillizza, Ambinder, and even CNN’s own campaign blog. Nada. (A few outlets — Bloomberg, Newsday — are talking about CNN’s report, but not adding any news of their own.)
If these two campaigns had really begun discussions about Clinton withdrawing from the race, this seems like it would be a pretty huge development. It’s possible CNN’s Suzanne Malveaux got her hands on an exclusive scoop, but it’s also possible there are no talks underway.
At this point, I’m leaning towards the latter.