Stray musings - follow the Benjamins

This passage sparked a thought. From Terrorists and Boxcars by James Taranto. Taranto is discussing a turn to the negative in Hillary Clinton's presidential campaign, offering speculation as to what might be the cause. He includes:

The Boston Globe reported that “Biden expanded his exploration of a presidential campaign [a week ago] Saturday, sitting down for a private lunch with US Senator Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts.” There was speculation about a Biden-Warren ticket. Last Monday CNN reported that Biden had “received President Barack Obama’s ‘blessing’ to make a 2016 bid for the White House, according to a senior Democrat.”

Ignoring Taranto's line of argument for the time being, what caught my eye was CNN's report. The Obama administration (and campaigns) have been famous for its steely defenestrations and under-bus-throwing. What CNN reports is almost certainly just gossip but you can't help but wonder. My chain of thought when speculating about inexplicable human actions always includes, close to the front of the list, the old Roman adage Qui bono?

Why would Obama throw Clinton under the bus, as is implied by greenlighting a Biden campaign? It is no secret that the Clinton-Obama relationship has always been cautiously distant, if not even antagonistic but endorsing Biden against Clinton seems improbable without some kind of motive.

What I have not seen discussed anywhere is the scenario of two post-presidents, Bill Clinton and Barack Obama.

Just as with Hillary Clinton's campaign right now, which sucks all the oxygen out of the room for other Democrat candidates, The Clinton Foundation, I presume, sucks all the money out of the Democrat philanthropic ecosystem.

If Hillary Clinton wins, I would assume that the Clinton Foundation goes from strength to strength (though presumably with a lot more protocols and scrutiny). Where is there room for Barack Obama, in that scenario, to raise money for his presidential library or other activities which he might want to sponsor as his legacy?

Could it be that Obama loyalists are doing battlefield preparation for the post-presidency when they might also want to raise funds for some form of an Obama Foundation with its own and different agenda from the Clinton Foundation? If Hillary Clinton wins, then their position is much, much harder. If she loses, and both Clintons are removed from the levers of governmental power and influence, then the Clinton Foundation receipts likely fall dramatically. Political money will always find a home, and where better to park than at the new Obama Foundation?

No idea whether there is any merit to any of this gossipy speculation but it has the ring of plausibility.