Hillary Clinton returns to Iowa. Is that Joe Biden behind her?
Hillary Clinton is perhaps the most heavily favored nonincumbent presidential candidate in modern times. Her speech at Iowa's Harkin Steak Fry is sure to be parsed for clues to her intentions in 2016.
Former US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton applauds as former US presidents George W. Bush and Bill Clinton participate in an onstage conversation at a Presidential Leadership Scholars event at the Newseum in Washington on Monday.
Jonathan Ernst/Reuters
Washington
Hillary Clinton returns to Iowa this weekend. She (and husband Bill) will speak Sunday at the Harkin Steak Fry, Sen. Tom Harkin鈥檚 annual festival of Democratic politics and grilled protein. This year鈥檚 Steak Fry is the 37th , and last 鈥� Senator Harkin is retiring. It鈥檚 also the first time Clinton has returned to the Hawkeye State since losing the Iowa caucuses in January 2008.
Remember? It was a brutal start for Clinton鈥檚 presidential campaign. She finished third, behind Barack Obama and John Edwards. Yes, that John Edwards.
Will her Steak Fry speech serve as an unofficial campaign kickoff? That鈥檚 what much of the D.C. punditocracy believes. That doesn鈥檛 mean she鈥檒l be more forthcoming about her plans 鈥� she鈥檚 said she won鈥檛 announce an official candidacy until early 2015. What it does mean is it鈥檚 about time she begins honing a stump speech intended to appeal to Democrats in Iowa and beyond. Anything less will be seen as a sign that maybe she鈥檚 thinking about not running, after all.
鈥淚 don鈥檛 want to be in a position of piling it on. This is a decision she has to make,鈥� said Harkin on Friday, according to the Associated Press. 鈥淪he knows how much I care about her and Bill.鈥�
A 2016 Hillary campaign promises to have a different finish in Iowa than her 2008 version. Early polls show the former secretary of State way ahead both nationally and in-state. shows Clinton as the choice of 53 percent of Iowa Democratic voters. Fifteen percent would opt for Vice President Joe Biden, with seven percent going for Sen. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts.
These numbers reflect national polls that show Clinton the overwhelming choice of Democrats. In terms of winning her party鈥檚 candidacy, she鈥檚 perhaps the most heavily favored nonincumbent presidential candidate in modern times.
But that hasn鈥檛 stopped potential rivals from making their own Iowa travel plans. Vice President Joe Biden will show up next Wednesday. He鈥檚 scheduled to appear in Des Moines to kick off a 鈥淲e the People, We the Voters鈥� bus tour.
Then there鈥檚 Maryland Gov. Martin O鈥橫alley. , he鈥檚 dispatched 11 staffers paid by his O鈥橲ay Can You See PAC to Iowa to work in various Democrats鈥� fall campaigns.
鈥淭he staffers O鈥橫alley has placed will give him a head start if he chooses to run for president,鈥� writes the Beast鈥檚 Ben Jacobs. 鈥淭hey will be able to identify potential supporters far in advance, as well as build lists of volunteers key to the grassroots organizing necessary in the Iowa caucuses.鈥�
If he runs, O鈥橫alley will need all the help he can get to build name recognition. Right now the CNN/ORC poll shows him with two percent of the Iowa Democratic vote 鈥� a whopping 51 points behind Clinton.