Hillary Clinton has a reason, finally, a really compelling reason to campaign her heart out for Barack Obama. If McCain wins Vice President Sarah Palin will run for president.
Think how how frustrated Hillary must be by the sudden surge for a mayor of an Alaskan town no one Hillary knows had ever heard of and the governor of that state for under two years. This is Hillary, after all, whose supporters would not let Obama select a woman other than Hillary as vice president, because there was no woman as prepared as Hillary--Kathleen Sebelius of Kansas or Janet Napolitano of Arizona, both governors, would have been better because they had actual executive experience. Think of what an interesting race either could have run against Palin.
From Hillary's point of view, what did Sarah Palin ever do anyway? If Hillary's experience in the White House was mainly managing Bill and putting up with his shenanigans so that she could could get a crack at the Oval Office, well that's experience that Palin lacks.
Some people who like to see a good fight are already predicting a Sarah v Hillary battle for the White House. What fun! And a race in which it's assured a woman will be president. What could be better?
Biden undoubtedly plans to run for president, but in November, 2012 he'll be 70, and he'll be 74 by November, 2016. Hillary is almost five years younger than Biden.
In any case, Hillary made it known that when she campaigns in the next couple of months, she will be taking on McCain, not Palin. She did not run so long and so hard to be saddled with bloodying the first ever female Republican VP nominee; she won't be reduced to that. Let Biden, who did get asked to the dance when Hillary was apparently never even considered, do the dirty work.
Much as I believe that in their heart of hearts both Clintons want to see Obama lose so Hillary can come back in 2012, my hunch is that Hillary at least has seen the light. It's better to tarnish Palin as a loser, even if that means that HIllary has to wait until 2016; and even if she has to push Vice President Joe Biden out of the way to grab her next chance.