There is still the possibility of rope-a-dope. He may have a verified BC ready for presentation on 6 Jan 09, if challenged. It would be a very dramatic moment and the credibility of his accusers would be damaged in the court of public opinion. But it would also show that he has exceptionally bad judgement about handling fairly mundane problems.
Importing a flair for street drama to the national level does not build confidence in the judgement skills of any person. It tends to make them look silly. But he has no executive experience at all and has not held any demanding leadership positions either. He may be so focused on making opponents look bad that he is unaware of how others will perceive his handling of this matter. “Gettin’ in their faces” is usually not the best method at this level.