Yet another story detailing Bill Clinton’s preference for talking up John McCain over campaigning for Barack Obama:

Former President Bill Clinton was hesitant to characterize Barack Obama as a “great man” Sunday, a phrase he had no qualms using last week to describe Obama’s rival John McCain.

Clinton told NBC’s Tom Brokaw that it was only earlier this month in Harlem that he and Obama had their “first conversation.” He said he had spoken with Obama before, but only in passing.

Clinton then explained what he meant in characterizing McCain as a “great man.”

“I think his greatness is that he keeps trying to come back to service without ever asking people to cut him any slack or feel sorry for him or any of that stuff because he was a POW,” Clinton said of the Republican presidential nominee.

What is the matter with this guy? It’s like he’s a pathological self-saboteur. And then some obvious possibilities reared their jaded heads: If Obama wins in November and has an effective presidency, he’ll seek re-election, which would put eight years between Hillary and the White House. If Obama wins in November but taxes us into a recession, Republicans will have an easier time in 2012. But! If McCain wins in November and implements his disastrous defense policies (or OD’s on Viagra—either way, he’s a one-term guy), Hillary will be poised for a comeback in 2012. (Sarah Palin has about as much chance of going from VP to just “P” in 2012 as Dan Quayle did in 2000—er, ’94.)

I’m sure this type of conjecture is/has been floating around the InterTubez, I’m just waiting for an MSM person to hit Clinton with it straight up.

Also, thinking like a pollster pickles my innards.