Smart politicians could cobble together a new coalition that used support for policies to encourage the use of natural gas as the new bargaining chip to replace the drilling bargaining chip.
At least for the early years of their working life, the diploma and the major are their only bargaining chips in the market for talent.
But Mr Calderon could also use the PRD as a bargaining chip, agreeing not to field alliance candidates in some states in exchange for the PRI's votes in Congress.
In that context, the North may use the two women as bargaining chips to extract the maximum possible material and diplomatic concessions from Washington.
Some believe that Section 106 has been left in as a bargaining chip, to be removed in return for a Republican concession.
Messrs Shultz and Dam argue that the import surcharge was intended as “an attention-getter and a bargaining chip”.