[iowa] hillary not the flavour of the month

Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (N.Y.) has not set foot in the state all year, and the futures market in Clinton political stock here has been suffering. Early polls by the Des Moines Register have shown Edwards, Sen. John F. Kerry (D-Mass.) and Iowa Gov. Tom Vilsack (D) all rate more highly in Iowa. Iowa Democrats say Clinton's standing reflects more than her absence. They say there is general unease within the party about her ability to win a general election plus her support for the war in Iraq has seen a drop in her ratings. Attitudes in Iowa are important in part because the state holds the opening caucuses of the nomination battle every four years. But Bill Clinton’s visit to Des Moines on Saturday, in lieu of his wife, may have help stem the tide. Who knows?