Joe Biden’s Allies Reportedly Feel Iowa Is ‘Not Going To Be Great’
Democratic primary frontrunner Joe Biden has been steadily losing ground in the lead up to Monday’s Iowa caucuses. According to The Hill, his campaign team has lowered their expectations, with some reportedly feeling apprehensive about the results.
“Most (aides) feel it’s not going to be great,” said one Biden ally, who claims to have spoken with the former vice president and his campaign team.
The latest poll of Iowa by Emerson College and Channel 7 News Iowa showed Bernie Sanders in the lead with 28 percent support and Biden trailing with 21 percent. Another CBS News/YouGov poll was more promising but still tight — Biden tied with Sanders for first with 25 percent support.
In some positive news for Biden, he holds the most extensive lead over Donald Trump of any Democrat in hypothetical head-to-heads in a Sunday NBC News/ The Wall Street Journal poll.
Although Biden’s team says it’s hoping to place in the top three in Iowa, one Biden confidant said that the campaign has the resources to continue pushing forward in the race for the “long haul.”
Despite vast resources, Iowa caucuses present dangers that the campaign is not ignoring. The Hill reports that some Biden allies believe that the purportedly low expectations for candidates outside of Sanders could provide momentum for other moderates such as Pete Buttigieg or Amy Klobuchar.
It’s IOWA CAUCUS DAY. @JoeBiden is in South Des Moines delivering pizza to folks at his campaign office. pic.twitter.com/fbQpHr5Fq9
— Sarah Mucha (@sarahmucha) February 3, 2020
According to a Democrat who has raised money for Biden, Buttigieg and Klobuchar pose the biggest threat to Biden.
“If Amy or Pete does better than expected and is getting a ton of buzz going into New Hampshire, that’s really bad for Biden. The longer there are more moderate candidates fighting over table scraps while Bernie gains strength, the more narrow the path gets for him going forward.”
But veteran Democratic fundraiser Kelly Dietrich believes Biden’s strong base of support will likely ensure he is in a strong position after Iowa, even in the case of lackluster results.
“No matter what happens in Iowa, he’ll be competitive moving forward. He’s the most well-known and only candidate in this race that nearly every Democrat has voted for twice as vice president.”
Although Dietrich acknowledged there are still many undecided voters, he claims Biden will be in the race no matter what.
RealClearPolitics puts Biden in second in Iowa with an average of 19.3 percent support. In first is Sanders with 23 percent, in third is Buttigieg with 16.8 percent, and in fourth is Elizabeth Warren with 15.5 percent.
