Barack's First Presidential Task: "Don't become Hillary's Doormat!"

In a telling analysis of what transpired between Hillary's transparent demands this evening for a spot on the VP ticket, Politico's Roger Simon argues that Obama's first test will be to make a decision about Hillary. The article is titled  Obama's first test: Handling Hillary.  Simon explains within that Hillary's hardline stance is one that will force Obama to push back on her, and not concede to her demands.  

   Obama can and must resist Hillary's fast timetable for consideration of her on the VP slot, but he also needs to do what he really would like to do: reject it out of hand.  The reasons are not only because of her denigrating, negative campaign that continues to attempt to delegitimize him, or because of her ingracious speech tonight, which was fraught with duplicity in citing metrics (such as popular vote totals)that she does not have, or because of her implying that all of her voters can't or won't support the party's nominee.   The main reason is because this is Obama's first real test as the nominee and he must look presidential.  Simon writes:

But her fighting words only increased the need for Obama to show that he can be strong, tough and in charge. Clinton’s unwillingness to recognize Obama as the victor only increased the need for Obama to act like a president and not like a doormat. And denying her a vice presidential slot may be a way of doing that.

Those in Obama's camp feel much the same way.  They know that the general election is going to be much more than about wooing Hillary's angry and hurt supporters to their side.  They will have to woo Independents, which make up almost a third of the voters in several states, as well as disaffected Republicans. They will have to register reams of young and new voters.  They will have to go and talk to voters everywhere, out in the Plains, to those in the South,  and to those in the Appalachian region.  And they will do it with or without Hillary Clinton at Barack's side.  This train will move on without her if need be.  

Simon goes on to quote sources on Obama's team:

It has been a hard-fought and sometimes bitter campaign, but Obama is not, one of his senior advisers assured me Tuesday night, going to spend a lot of time in the next few months wooing Clinton supporters whose feelings may be hurting.

"I think there are always immediate feelings of disappointment and anger," Anita Dunn said. "But in the months ahead, he must appeal not just to the constituency groups who favored her in the primaries, but those he wants in the general election, and that includes independents and Republicans."  Another Obama adviser, who asked not to be identified, said that he was not worried that Clinton supporters would stay angry.

"Look at how many switched today to Obama," he said. "Look at the Clinton supporters, look at Maxine Waters [the congresswoman from California who endorsed Hillary Clinton in late January but switched to Obama on Tuesday], who were passionate advocates for Hillary, but who switched to Obama."   "At the end of the day," he went on, "Hillary supporters will look at John McCain and decide they are not going to vote for a man who will put judges on the Supreme Court who would overturn Roe v. Wade."

So, fellow Obama supporters, based on Roger Simon's reporting, the Obama camp appears confident that they will be focused on the real fight between Obama and John McCain, and that will be the main story that the media will be covering in the coming days and weeks.   They expect that there will be lingering stories about Hillary's demands, but the Obama camp will not feed them.  They will continue to be gracious and welcoming to the Clintons and their supporters, but it appears that they will not play Hillary's game or let themselves fall into Hillary's trap.