Remember 1960
In the wake of the latest Wright/Obama tempest, a view is taking hold (see Ambinder here) that the Wrights of the world would actually prefer to see Obama lose, inasmuch as an Obama victory would give the lie to their conviction that the American deck is irredeemably stacked against people of color. This analysis might be extended to make the point that the professional black establishment, if one might call it that, has more to gain (especially at this point) from a Clinton presidency than an Obama one. In an Obama presidency their swot would certainly be reduced.
This is hardly a new phenomenon. Back in 1960, the American Catholic establishment led by the redoubtable cardinal archbishop of New York, Francis Spellman, preferred Nixon to Kennedy--not that they could come right out and say so. But they knew full well that Kennedy would have to keep his distance from them and their agenda. Of course, rank-and-file Catholics overwhelmingly supported JFK, just as rank-and-file African Americans overwhelmingly support BHO.