The Ready for Hillary PAC was active in Iowa over the weekend, and they are trying to figure out how to help Clinton’s campaign even before she announces that she’s a candidate. It’s probably helpful that she has people making an effort to get organized this far out from the caucuses, but it is an unusual circumstance. Iowans are accustomed to candidates asking them for their support, not asking candidates to run for office.
Clinton ran a disappointing third in the 2008 caucuses, and there are some bad feelings to clean up. An internal memo leaked suggesting that she blow off the caucuses entirely, and a lot of people feel that she didn’t pay due respect to the state with her above-the-fray campaign.
It’s not clear, yet, whether someone else will get on the ground in Iowa’s 99 counties and really try to beat Clinton. But it’s still doable. The caucus system was Hillary’s achilles heel in 2008, and it could be a real weakness for her again if a progressive alternative emerges.
Unfortunately for anyone hoping to derail Clinton’s candidacy, she will not be following Mark Penn’s advice the next time around.
