WASHINGTON _ Joe Biden is flooding Iowa with more organizers than any of his rivals. He's spending big on TV ads highlighting his personal tragedies. And he's wooing former supporters of Bernie Sanders to tout his progressive bona fides.
Five months out from the start the 2020 Democratic primaries, the former vice president is attempting to lock down his softest support in the early voting states as quickly as possible as he braces for a fluid fall campaign. Biden's consistently led in most polls, but his campaign is already tamping down expectations in Iowa and New Hampshire as local Democrats warn that he is falling behind other candidates in organizing.
"The fact is everyone's vote is precarious," said one Biden campaign adviser, who spoke on the condition of anonymity. "We have the biggest universe to go after. ... Our strategy is to get there first."
