Clinton up 9 over Sanders in Iowa

Hillary Clinton bluntly acknowledged Friday that she is trailing Bernie Sanders in New Hampshire, telling an audience at a women’s health dinner in Concord that she’s been here before and knows what it takes to come back. Her latest tactic? Asking if he is now, or has ever been, a member of the Communist Party.

A series of polls have shown the race in the New Hampshire primary favoring Sanders, the Vermont senator who has made a concerted effort to solidify his base in the state by spending over a month campaigning.

Sanders’ candidacy has channeled voter frustration with the status quo, and while Clinton acknowledged that in her remarks, she also warned voters not to jeopardize what had already been accomplished. Clinton has locked down almost all of the establishment support – governors, members of Congress and Democratic leaders – who can help her in a lengthy primary.

“When I look at where we are today, I know how anxious and, yes, even angry people are and I think folks have good cause to be both”, Clinton said, later drawing focus to one issue where she has sought to draw a contrast with Sanders: health care.

Hammering the senator on his policies from healthcare to gun control and on his electability in November’s general election, Mrs Clinton warned Iowans that his plans for a universal government-funded healthcare system would lead to “gridlock” in Washington.

Former US president Bill Clinton, canvassing for his wife in the early voting states, dismissed Mr Sanders with faint praise for his insurgent campaign that has energised grassroots liberals. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., means when he says that she is an establishment candidate, suggesting that Sanders is in fact more establishment, reported CNN.

But one major question entering Iowa is whether there will be enough of these voters. “He’s been in Congress, he’s been elected to office a lot longer than I have”.

While Obama had several key surrogates in 2008, including Virginia Gov. Tim Kaine and Missouri Sen. Some argue she has no choice, while also showing she can go head-to-head with Sanders on new, progressive ideas. Jeanne Shaheen, a former governor, and her firepower will be on display this weekend in Iowa, with Senate Democrats like Kaine, Cory Booker of New Jersey and Kirsten Gillibrand of NY rallying supporters on her behalf.