HALPERIN’S TAKE: The ways the Clinton political and communications operation has outfoxed Obama since New Hamsphire

And/but: the race is still very close, Team Obama has won its share of the battles, to be sure — and some of these short-term wins might have a long-term cost for Hillary Clinton.

But for several news cycles running, her campaign has had a lot of tactical successes:

1. Won the battle to lower expectations in Nevada — they made the state Obama’s to lose, and thus boosted the value of Clinton’s victory.

2. Won the battle of spin in Nevada after the Obama campaign tried to reclaim the state by arguing it won more delegates.

3. Kept Obama talking about topics he would rather have avoided (first Yucca Mountain, then Reagan, etc.), ignoring the media’s tut-tutting over cold-blooded Clintonian tactics.

4. Manipulated Obama into pontificating about political process and the prospect of fighting back (rather than using his energy to actually fight back!).

5. Unleashed Bill Clinton, who got WAY inside Obama’s head, to rattle and distract him during a crucial period.

6. Goaded Obama into attacking Bill Clinton and his presidency - even though the former POTUS and his legacy remain very popular with Democratic voters.

7. Taunted Obama with their “where is your different kind of politics now?” mantra.

8. Found just enough superdelegate endorsements to limit the power of Obama’s more impressive ones.

9. Cracked down on the leaks, blind quotes, and semi-public infighting that plagued the Clinton campaign in late December-early January.

10. Had Hillary Clinton address the economic crisis in a visible way, thus simultaneously playing on the issue of the day and warding off the building criticism of ruthless negative campaigning.

11. Forced Obama to spend an entire week in South Carolina while H. Clinton traveled to Super Tuesday states for campaigning and fundraising (with volatile B. Clinton a seven-layer cake attracting ravenous media attention, and C. Clinton a delicate frosting of positive coverage).

12. Finessed South Carolina expectations so an Obama win might be minimized, and a Clinton win might herald the end of the nomination fight.

13. Lured Obama’s campaign into a fight over Florida primary expectations.

14. Got Obama into an old-style political fight — inciting him to fling mud, leaving mud on his clothes, and freeing themselves up to hurl more, with limited blowback costs.