The poker analogy is ok, but not perfect because with poker, there is no follow-up whereby you would support your adversary. A better analogy is Obama's -- that this is like two quarterbacks trying out to be the first-stringer. It has gotten to the point where all of the coaches have told one of the QBs that she has almost no chance of winning, and it's just a matter of formality that the head coach has not made the decision yet. In the mean time the presumed 2nd-stringer sets about trying to sabotage the would-be starter by poisoning the well with all the other team members; she says things like, "We cannot win if he is the QB" and "The other team's QB is even better than him." The ultimate outcome is a self-fulfilling prophesy. She plans to then come in next season to say, "I told you so. He is a loser. You need me now."

Think also of Tanya Harding...