John Dickerson thinks Hillary won the Geffen round with the Obama campaign.

So, who won this round? Sen. Clinton. The Clinton team got exactly what they hoped for. Obama's communications director, Robert Gibbs, responded sharply, alluding to the Lincoln Bedroom fund-raising controversies of Bill Clinton's presidency. "We aren't going to get in the middle of a disagreement between the Clintons and someone who was once one of their biggest supporters," said Gibbs in a statement. "It is ironic that the Clintons had no problem with David Geffen when he was raising them $18 million and sleeping at their invitation in the Lincoln Bedroom."

The Clinton campaign responded on cue. "I would have thought that a campaign trying to change our politics would have disavowed those comments and moved on," said Clinton communications director Howard Wolfson.

Obama's other rivals took their chance to join in the fun. Asked at a Democratic forum in Nevada if Obama should denounce Geffen, New Mexico governor and presidential candidate Bill Richardson said yes and then gallivanted on the high road: "I think if we're going to win we have to be positive. If there is anything about Democrats in the last few years, being a governor I felt this, we just cannot criticize the president. There's plenty to criticize. … I think these name-callings are not good." Former Iowa Governor Tom Vilsack joined in, too. An operative from another rival Democratic campaign responded from the sidelines: "These are the two candidates who most need to project strength and dignity and presidentialness, and instead they're acting like children. Let's hope it keeps up for the next year."

What's missing here is an appreciation of the existing personal dynamics for each candidate.

Dickerson completely ignores a vital fact of political life--its not what you say, its what what you say in the context of people's expectations. The public perception is that Bush is dumb, so when he mangles a phrase, everyone is confirmed in their perceptions. If Al Gore where to mangle a phrase, it wouldn't raise an eyebrow, but the internet-inventor has no leeway for misstatements.

Obama isn't just running on the uniter-not-a-divider platform, he's leveraging an public image he fixed during the 2004 Democrat convention. Obama would have hit back very hard indeed for the public to perceive him as a partisan screeming meemie. On the other hand, Shrillary didn't get the nickname by accident. Sean Hannity still plays her paroxym on an almost daily basis. Anything the least bit immoderate or indignant is going to be seen as well, shrill.

Remember vast-right-wing-conspiracy?

Obama gets the Hollywood buddies, the money and gets to make Hillary look bad. A good week for him.