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The news out of Politico this morning is that Hillary Clinton is likely to push her formal presidential announcement all the way back to July, a three-month delay from the original plan and one born of a desire to make sure the candidate and the campaign are fully ready to go when things are made official.

Here's Mike Allen:

The delay from the original April target will give her more time to develop her message, policy and organization, without the chaos and spotlight of a public campaign.

A Democrat familiar with Clintons thinking said: She doesnt feel under any pressure, and they see no primary challenge on the horizon. If you have the luxury of time, you take it.

The thinking goes like this: Clinton does best -- in the eyes of the public -- when she is seen as above or removed from politics. Her numbers, which were damaged by the 2008 presidential race, soared during and after her time as secretary of state. The less political she looks -- and you always look less political when you aren't running for something -- the more people like her.

Here's Gallup's long-term trend on Clinton's favorability ratings. The peaks (and valleys) tend to correspond with her times out -- and in -- campaign mode.

That reality is, of course, not new. So, what changed that has Clintonworld at least contemplating a slowdown in her announcement timetable?

Elizabeth Warren or, more accurately the lack of Elizabeth Warren. The senator from Massachusetts and the buzz around her as a possible Democratic candidate has gone dormant -- or gotten quieter -- over the past month. There isn't the daily drumbeat of stories about the left's unrest with Clinton (and pining for Warren) that was seen a few months back. And, more important, Warren and her people continue to insist -- publicly and privately -- that she has no interest in running, and she has not built a team to suggest that she does.

Without Warren, the primary is of no real threat to Clinton, as people such as Bernie Sanders, Jim Webb and even Martin O'Malley can't raise the money or generate the sort of generic excitement needed to topple her.

It makes all the sense in the world. But, waiting so long does carry some disadvantages.

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The Fix: Hillary Clintons ever-changing presidential timeline is changing. Again.

Bad news for those eager to see Hillary Clinton kick off her presidential campaign: Insiders on Team Clinton say that the former Secretary of Statewill likely delay her campaign launch by at least three months,and that has some wondering if Hillary is in trouble.

Until now, most expected the Clinton campaign to officially kickoff in April, the beginning of a new fundraising quarter, but her campaign team recently told Politico that it will put off campaign launch until summer.

"Hillary Clinton, expecting no major challenge for the Democratic nomination, is strongly considering delaying the formal launch of her presidential campaign until July, three months later than originally planned, top Democrats tell Politico," the site reported Thursday.

Of course, the news was greeted with some trepidation (or glee) on both sides of the political spectrum.

"Hillary retreats deeper into cocoon," trumpeted a Fox News headline.

"It is time to panic about Hillary Clinton again," Esquire wrote.

Is it time to panic or celebrate depending on your political inclination? Has Hillary hit a snag?

To the contrary, she probably feels very secure in her (likely) candidacy.

As an unnamed source told Politico, She doesnt feel under any pressure, and they see no primary challenge on the horizon. If you have the luxury of time, you take it.

And why not? No other Democratic contender is even close to challenging Hillary's bid and pressuring her into an early declaration. Former one-term Senator Jim Webb has announced the formation of a presidential exploratory committee. But the former Virginia senator is considered a long shot for the nomination.Ditto former Maryland Gov. Martin O'Malley and Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper.

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Why is Hillary Clinton delaying her campaign kickoff?

While the race for the Republican nomination for president appears to be beginning in earnest, prompted in no small part by early maneuvering by Jeb Bush and the increasing likelihood that Mitt Romney is indeed going to throw his hat in the ring for a third run at the White House, things have been fairly quiet on the Democratic side of the aisle. At most, the past several months have seen some talk of potential candidacies on the part of people such as former Virginia Sen. Jim Webb, former Montana Gov. Brian Schweitzer, and former Maryland Gov. Martin OMalley, as well as some speculation that Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders may enter the race. The Ready for Warren people continue to do their thing notwithstanding the fact that Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren has said shes not running for president. Vice-President Biden, meanwhile, has apparently not taken any real steps to put together a campaign organization. To a large degree, of course, the lack of action on the Democratic side of the race is due to the fact that everyone seems to be waiting to see what Hillary Clinton will do. At this point, the major shock to the Democratic field would be Clinton announcing that she isnt running, since it would leave the party without a real front runner heading into 2016. The question, though, is when Clinton actually intends to enter the race, and a new Mike Allen piece atPoliticosuggests thatshe may delay entering the race until much later in the year than originally planned:

Hillary Clinton, expecting no major challenge for the Democratic nomination, is strongly considering delaying the formal launch of her presidential campaign until July, three months later than originally planned, top Democrats tell POLITICO.

The delay from the original April target will give her more time to develop her message, policy and organization, without the chaos and spotlight of a public campaign.

A Democrat familiar with Clintons thinking said: She doesnt feel under any pressure, and they see no primary challenge on the horizon. If you have the luxury of time, you take it.

Advisers said the biggest reason for the delay is simple: She feels no rush.

She doesnt want to feel pressured by the press to do something before shes ready, one adviser said. Shes better off as a non-candidate. Why not wait?

A huge advantage to waiting is that Clinton postpones the time when she goes before the public as a politician rather than as a former secretary of state. Polling by both Democrats and Republicans shows that one of her biggest vulnerabilities is looking political.

So the Clinton camp has enjoyed watching her recede from the headlines in recent weeks as Jeb Bush and Mitt Romney have amped up their potential candidacies.

One option being considered would be to announce an exploratory committee earlier perhaps in April, at the beginning of a new fundraising quarter, in the timeframe when insiders originally expected her to launch her campaign.

Then the actual kickoff would be in July, near the start of the next quarter. By launching at the beginning of a quarter, supporters have the maximum amount of time to generate a blockbuster total for their first report.

Excerpt from:
Hillary Clinton: the case for waiting until summer to enter presidential race

The news out of Politico this morning is that Hillary Clinton is likely to push her formal presidential announcement all the way back to July, a three-month delay from the original plan and one born of a desire to make sure the candidate and the campaign are fully ready to go when things are made official.

Here's Mike Allen:

The delay from the original April target will give her more time to develop her message, policy and organization, without the chaos and spotlight of a public campaign.

A Democrat familiar with Clintons thinking said: She doesnt feel under any pressure, and they see no primary challenge on the horizon. If you have the luxury of time, you take it.

The thinking goes like this: Clinton does best -- in the eyes of the public -- when she is seen as above or removed from politics. Her numbers, which were damaged by the 2008 presidential race, soared during and after her time as secretary of state. The less political she looks -- and you always look less political when you aren't running for something -- the more people like her.

Here's Gallup's long-term trend on Clinton's favorability ratings. The peaks (and valleys) tend to correspond with her times out -- and in -- campaign mode.

That reality is, of course, not new. So, what changed that has Clintonworld at least contemplating a slowdown in her announcement timetable?

Elizabeth Warren or, more accurately the lack of Elizabeth Warren. The senator from Massachusetts and the buzz around her as a possible Democratic candidate has gone dormant -- or gotten quieter -- over the past month. There isn't the daily drumbeat of stories about the left's unrest with Clinton (and pining for Warren) that was seen a few months back. And, more important, Warren and her people continue to insist -- publicly and privately -- that she has no interest in running, and she has not built a team to suggest that she does.

Without Warren, the primary is of no real threat to Clinton, as people such as Bernie Sanders, Jim Webb and even Martin O'Malley can't raise the money or generate the sort of generic excitement needed to topple her.

It makes all the sense in the world. But, waiting so long does carry some disadvantages.

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Hillary Clintons ever-changing presidential timeline is changing. Again.

Former Secretary of State and first lady Hillary Clinton speaks at a press conference announcing a new initiative between the Clinton Foundation, United Nations Foundation and Bloomberg Philanthropies, titled Data2x on December 15, 2014 in New York City. Andrew Burton, Getty Images

This article originally appeared on Slate.

DES MOINES, Iowa--Covering the frantic Republican caucus in Iowa while simultaneously covering the drowsy Democratic contest is like stepping off of a moving walkway. You swing your arms and legs at the same quick pace, but you're not moving fast anymore. The Republican candidates are scrambling for organizers, planning visits, and zooming around the country collecting money, while Hillary Clinton is the most dominant nonincumbent ever. Democrats like Gov. Martin O'Malley and Sen. Bernie Sanders are making moves, but few local activists even pretend that they are serious challengers to Clinton. Ready for Hillary is in the state and organizing all 99 counties, but all of that activity without any real competition is the difference between running in place and running for your life.

Nevertheless, there is a feeling in Iowa that Clinton needs to campaign as if she had a real challenger.

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Hillary Clinton holds a wide margin in polls against other potential candidates for the 2016 Democratic nomination. However, there is a lack of s...

A pause for an important Iowa caveat: Not all the advice coming out of Iowa is driven by what's best for Hillary Clinton. Activists in the state like to be courted and are used to getting attention. They like the phone calls they can dine out on. They like it when the candidate visits the state because they can raise money off the visit and build their local political networks. So it's not surprising that Iowa Democratic activists want Clinton in the state early and often.

That's one reason why Clinton might be tempted to ignore the advice coming out of the state to make a big commitment. The other is that she has a lot of commitments all across the country. She's got to raise money, and there are perhaps easier places where she can campaign to tighten her message and buff her image. After all, Iowa has the bad memories of the 2008 race, where Barack Obama beat her, and it's not like she is in danger of losing the caucus.

But the best argument for a strong Clinton campaign in Iowa isn't based on her being in danger of losing the caucus. The argument for Clinton to play hard in Iowa is rooted in the general election to come. In my time in Iowa, a few Democrats compared Clinton to Bruce Braley, the failed Democratic Senate candidate. The consensus view is that Braley waited too long to present himself, and as a result he was defined by his opponent. Also, as a campaigner, he lacked the ability to make a strong connection with voters. In short, he was late and out of touch. The comparison isn't entirely fair. Clinton is a better candidate than Braley, but those general critiques are familiar ones that attach to her.

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The fighting Hawkeyes: Why Hillary Clinton needs to fight hard for Iowa