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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