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Published January 17, 2015

Hillary Clinton appears to have scared away much of the competition should she seek the Democratic nomination for president in 2016. But her early and practically all-encompassing effort also presents the potential liability that she will sail through the primary season largely untested for the bare-knuckled general election.

And it could deny Democrats the chance to define themselves to Americans, strategists say.

It's not good for a party because the Democratic Party needs a real debate about what it's for, who it's for, what it's about and where we'll take the country, says Dennis Kucinich, a former Democratic congressman, presidential candidate and a Fox News contributor.

The 67-year-old Clinton plans to make an official announcement in early 2015, leaving some doubt about whether she will indeed run. But her frontrunner status is unquestionable.

She has roughly 62 percent of the likely vote and leads all potential Democratic challengers by a numbing 49.5 percentage points.

And those numbers combined with an ambitious public-speaking schedule and the fundraising and cheerleading group Ready for Hillary are making it difficult for potential primary challengers to raise money.

In addition, Clintons most formidable, likely primary challenger now, Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren, insists shes not running, leaving the Democratic field so wide open that 73-year-old Bernie Sanders, an independent and junior senator from Vermont, is now fourth behind Clinton, Warren and Vice President Biden, according an averaging of polls by RealClearPolitics.com

I think you miss the chance to vet ideals, says Richard Fowler, a Democrat and host of the progressive-leaning Richard Fowler Talk Show. I think that's what elections are about.Elections are about ideals and how ideals would then turn into policy that will then turn into how we govern.

Clinton, a former first lady, secretary of State and New York senator, hasnt been in a campaign-style debate since 2008, when she lost the Democratic presidential primary to President Obama, then a freshman Illinois senator.

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BATTLE UNTESTED? Easy ride in '16 primary may weaken Clinton