NEWPORT NEWS, Va. - What a reversal of fortune.

On Sunday, Feb. 17, I drove up to Richmond for a brunch in honor of a colleague who retired after a distinguished 40-year journalism career. About 10 of my journalist friends were at this gathering, including two former presidents of the National Association of Black Journalists.

Inevitably, the chatter shifted to the Democratic primary season and the half-dozen hopefuls that included U.S. senators Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama.

One of the guests, who left journalism to work for black elected officials, posed this question: If Clinton wins - at that time she was still the frontrunner - and the senator from New York asks the charismatic Obama to be her running mate, will he be obligated to accept?

If he declined the invitation and Clinton went on to lose in November, wouldn't Obama be forever blamed for blowing it for the Democrats? said the political aide.

Wow, doesn't that February speculation seem silly in June? Yet conventional wisdom was turned on its head repeatedly during this campaign.

Now the reversal of fortune is Obama is the Democratic nominee.

So what does he do with Clinton?

She lacked grace on June 3 when her opponent received the qualifying number of delegates to earn the nomination. Clinton did not congratulate him. Her poor sportsmanship was memorable because days before, Obama bent over backwards to praise Clinton for her tenacity and passion. Clinton was all but mathematically eliminated and stalled her inevitable exit, yet Obama did not let on that he was annoyed.

Obama did not have a lot of time to bask in his historic win. Clinton & Co. continued to fight him for the news cycle. The morning after Obama's win, Clinton surrogate Robert L. Johnson was on CNN, urging Congressional Black Caucus members to pressure Obama by getting behind a draft Hillary for vice president campaign.

Clinton did not task him to lobby for her, the Black Entertainment Television founder told CNN, but senator was aware of what he was doing.

Well, if offered vice president by Obama, would Clinton want the job?

Was she willing to play bad cop to the good cop commander in chief? Indeed, Dick Chaney is evil, but he is so comfortable in his 7 ½-year role as hatchet man for George W. Bush.

So if Clinton accepted, would she have Obama's back?

No, I don't think so either.  

I told a Philadelphia-based political writer that CNN analyst Jeffrey Toobin's phrase, "deranged narcissism of the Clintons," haunted me this weekend because it suggests that the senator and ex-president could only sabotage Obama's battle against Republican John McCain.

I imagined that the writer shrugged [we exchanged Instant Messages]. Clinton's Tuesday antics, she said, was typical Baby Boomer behavior: Me, me, me, I, I, I. Now tell me a little bit about you and back to me, me and me.

Is this the attitude Obama wants in a vice president?

Then again, if Obama is convinced he must have Hillary Rodham Clinton at his side, plus 18 million cracks in the highest glass ceiling, will the senator from New York accept?

If Clinton said no thanks, would she jeopardize Obama's chances in November?

Wow, at that February brunch, the presidential players were in reverse roles during a debate among well-informed newsies. Funny how fortunes can change.

Dawkins is an assistant professor at Hampton University Scripps Howard School of Journalism and Communications. He is also a member of the Trotter Group www.trottergroup.org