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Former Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton speaks to a crowd in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan on Wednesday, Jan. 21, 2015.(Photo: Liam Richards, AP)
DES MOINES, Iowa — Hillary Rodham Clinton continues to lead the potential field of Democratic presidential candidates in Iowa, capturing a wide majority of support and enjoying sky-high approval ratings among likely caucusgoers.
The results of the latest Des Moines Register/Bloomberg Iowa Poll underscore Clinton's dominance a year ahead of Iowa's first-in-the-nation caucuses and the inability so far of any other potential candidate to crack her aura of inevitability.
Clinton, the former U.S. secretary of state and a fixture in national Democratic politics for more than 20 years, is the first choice for 56 percent of poll respondents. That's 40 points ahead of the next potential contender, liberal populist Sen. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts, who is the top choice for 16 percent.
Whoever ultimately gets into the race will look to make themselves the most credible choice alongside Clinton, said Iowa-based Democratic strategist Jeff Link.
"You want to make this a two-person race, and you want to be the alternative to the front-runner," Link said. "There's a chance that that could happen, and if it does, that'll be when things will become more interesting."
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Clinton is viewed favorably by 84 percent of likely caucusgoers, and just 1 percent aren't sure of their feelings about her. Among potential candidates, only Vice President Joe Biden enjoys popularity anywhere near that, at 78 percent.
For former Maryland Gov. Martin O'Malley, independent Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont and former Sen. Jim Webb of Virginia, a majority of respondents don't know enough about them even to form an opinion.
Poll respondent Nora Walker, a 20-year-old Iowa State University student, said she's been a fan of Clinton going back to 2008 and wants to see a woman elected president.
"Not only do I think it's time for a woman to be in office, I think she's the right woman for the job," Walker said of Clinton.
But Walker also said she's unfamiliar with the rest of the potential field, and wasn't entirely ruling out support for another candidate.
Democrats Derby<span style="color: Red;">*</span>(Photo: Mark Marturello/Register Illustration)
The results are not substantially different from an Iowa Poll conducted last October, in which 53 percent of respondents called Clinton their first choice, while the rest of the field remained at or below 10 percent.
Only Warren has shown any noticeable movement since then, rising from 10 percent to 16 percent. Warren came to Iowa in late October to campaign for unsuccessful Senate candidate Bruce Braley, drawing hundreds of people to events in Iowa City and Des Moines.
More Iowans have become aware of Warren, and that higher visibility has translated to higher popularity — a positive development for any candidate, said J. Ann Selzer, who conducts the Iowa Poll for the Register and Bloomberg Politics.
"This poll reveals Warren as more competitive against the front-runner than she was a few months ago," Selzer said.
The poll of 401 likely Democratic caucusgoers was conducted Jan. 26-29. The margin of error is plus or minus 4.9 percentage points.
Still, support for Clinton is wide and deep.
On a question asking what type of Democrat would be best suited to lead the country in 2017, 57 percent think it would be a "mainstream establishment candidate" — an apt description of Clinton — while 34 percent say they prefer an "anti-establishment candidate without ties to Washington or Wall Street."
Even among respondents favoring an anti-establishment candidate, Clinton is still the top choice, leading Warren by almost 20 percentage points.
David Vawter, 50, of Johnston is among the respondents favoring an "anti-establishment" candidate and backing Clinton.
While Clinton has been around long enough to understand how the political game is played, he said, he sees her as standing apart from the extreme partisanship that defines Washington, D.C. It also helps that she's a woman, he said.
"She's part of the old boys club, but she's not a boy, which helps her be anti-establishment," he said. "We need someone who can think outside the box, but understands the box."
One issue trailing both Clinton and likely Republican candidate Jeb Bush is the dynastic implications for their candidacies: Clinton is married to former President Bill Clinton, while Bush's brother and father have served as president.
The Iowa Poll suggests that likely caucus attendees see family connections as far more significant for Bush than Clinton.
While 50 percent of likely Republican caucusgoers say the strength of Bush's potential candidacy is based more on his "family connections to politics," just 19 percent of likely Democratic caucus attendees say the same of Clinton.
Forty percent say Clinton's strength lies in her "policies and vision for the country" and another 36 percent say it's her "unique qualities and achievements."
But poll respondent Sharon Pryor, a retired psychologist from Iowa City, says she's troubled by the notion of American political dynasties. It's part of the reason Warren and Sanders are her top choices.
"It's a little disgusting that she's being anointed, that we have these dynastic families, the Bushes and the Clintons," Pryor said. "That's another reason for either a Sanders or a Warren (candidacy)."
Much remains unknown about the Democratic field — including whether or when Clinton will formally announce her candidacy. News reports last week suggested the weak Democratic competition might allow her to delay a formal candidacy announcement until July.
Warren has downplayed her interest in pursuing a candidacy. Biden, Sanders and O'Malley have made trips to Iowa in recent months but have avoided committing to a run. Sanders has scheduled another visit Feb. 19-21, packed with nine events.
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