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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

By Perry Bacon Jr.

Hillary Clinton faces doubts from two different parts of the Democratic Party about her likely presidential run, even as she remains the overwhelming favorite to win the party's nomination.

A camp of liberals, particularly those aligned with Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren, are worried Clinton will be unwilling to embrace some progressive ideas, like increasing Social Security benefits and breaking up large banks. Another group of Democrats, particularly strong backers of President Barack Obama during the 2008 primaries, say they are worried about the perception that Clinton's potential candidacy has become too much about achieving her long-sought goal of being elected president rather than her vision for leading the country.

"The moment Hillary announces, she has our nomination, and that's okay with me"

In interviews with 20 key Democratic activists, elected officials and state party leaders from across the country, there was almost uniform agreement that Clinton will be the party's nominee and that her campaign should be centered on making the economy work better for middle and low-income Americans. But party officials disagree both about what exact policies Clinton should advance and if she will be effective in advocating them.

"The thing that went wrong in 2007 was that the campaign got ahead of the rationale for it, and it became more about her than the country," said David Axelrod, Obama's former chief strategist. "I don't think she will make that mistake again, but there's the danger of that. She's been portrayed as the inevitable candidate and that's a trap. She has to scuffle through this every day."

Maria Teresa Kumar, who is president of Voto Latino, said party activists will press Clinton on her ties to Wall Street.

"We know where she is on women's issues, we know what she has said on immigration, the environment," said Kumar. "I think the challenge will be where is she when it comes to Wall Street. She and her husband are close to them through CGI [The Clinton Global Initiative.] Can she be tough on them? Can she close tax loopholes?"

For now, these doubts don't seem to pose a major threat to Clinton's path to the Democratic nomination. With Warren insisting that she won't run, other potential competitors - like former Virginia Sen. Jim Webb and former Maryland governor Martin O'Malley - lack Clinton's ability to raise money and lock down influential endorsements.

And if she does win the nomination, factors such as the state of the economy and Obama's approval rating next November, neither of which Clinton has much control over, may be as important as any of her campaign tactics in determining the winner of the general election.

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Party Poopers: Not All Democrats Are Sold On Hillary

Hillary Clinton in Winnipeg - interview snippet
Jan 21, 2015 at the Winnipeg Convention Centre.

By: Tracy M.

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Hillary Clinton in Winnipeg - interview snippet - Video

Witness Refuses To Say If Clinton #39;s Benghazi Emails Have Been Turned Over
At the House Select Committee on Benghazi hearing on January 27, 2015, Chairman Trey Gowdy demanded to know whether his committee had received all emails to and from Hillary Clinton related...

By: Rising ICYMI

Originally posted here:
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Mark Halperin: Hillary Needs to Be Herself
What else does Hillary Clinton need? Fewer white men advising her? A better attitude toward the media?

By: Bloomberg Business

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Mark Halperin: Hillary Needs to Be Herself - Video