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Invisible primary

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Hillary Clinton crushed all Democratic challengers in the 2016 invisible primary. Or did she? Former secretary of state Hillary Rodham Clinton arrives at a news conference at the United Nations on March 10.

Hillary Clinton crushed all Democratic challengers in the 2016 invisible primary. Or did she?

The event raised as many questions as it answered about her e-mails, but she has a good reason to smile. (Yana Paskova/Getty Images) Hillary Rodham Clinton has had better months. There have been questions about how the Clinton Foundation was managed — and funded. There have been questions about her e-mail records. Hillary Clinton's Grip on the "Invisible Primary" Hillary Clinton announced her bid for the presidency only a little over a month ago, but analysts are already calling her campaign a steamroller and a juggernaut.

Hillary Clinton's Grip on the "Invisible Primary"

To the casual election watcher, this might seem premature, since not a single Democratic primary voter has cast a ballot. Why are analysts so bullish on Clinton? The answer lies at least partially in the “invisible primary” – the process by which the party leaders and highly active members, from the local to federal level, attempt to coalesce around a nominee before the Iowa caucuses (tentatively scheduled for Feb. 1), and then (through influence, money and organization) try to persuade the party rank-and-file to nominate their candidate. As other journalists and analysts have noted, Clinton currently seems to be dominating the Democratic invisible primary. Using endorsement data, I drilled down a bit farther to put her performance in the context of past presidential nominees.

Making Sense of The 'Invisible' 2016 Primary. Yes, the 2016 presidential campaign already has been off and running for weeks now.

Making Sense of The 'Invisible' 2016 Primary

But come next month, the candidates will start to "officially" announce their campaigns and form their presidential fundraising committees. Why Spending More Time in Iowa Hasn’t Equaled Campaign Success in 2016. Before Jeb Bush can 'fix America', he’s somehow got to fix his own abysmal presidential campaign. In the wake of his miserable showing in the Republican debate last week, Jeb Bush rolled out a new and grimly apt campaign slogan on Friday in New Hampshire, the early primary state he probably has to win if he is to have any chance of securing his party’s 2016 nomination.

Before Jeb Bush can 'fix America', he’s somehow got to fix his own abysmal presidential campaign

“Jeb Can Fix It,” it proclaims. But fix what? Before he can fix the country, he’s somehow got to fix his own abysmal campaign. The Bush family political network and the Jeb financial juggernaut, it was assumed, would cow every serious rival.

Jefferson Jackson dinner

Donald Trump plots his second act. Walker's campaign fail. Top Walker donor says he donated to Fiorina, Rubio, Christie and Carson after debate. Republican presidential hopeful Scott Walker.

Top Walker donor says he donated to Fiorina, Rubio, Christie and Carson after debate

(AFP/Getty Images/Frederic J. Brown) A top donor backing Scott Walker said Monday that he gave money to four of Walker's Republican rivals after last week's debate, the latest sign of trouble for the Wisconsin governor's struggling effort to stay in the mix for his party's nomination for president. Minnesota media mogul Stanley S. Hubbard told The Washington Post he has donated money to the campaigns of former Hewlett-Packard chief executive Carly Fiorina, Sen.

If you think super PACs have changed everything about the presidential primary, think again. Your Republican presidential field, minus the guy in the glasses.

If you think super PACs have changed everything about the presidential primary, think again

(AP Photos) The 2016 presidential nomination campaigns have been lively, especially on the Republican side. Unconventional candidates, including Donald Trump, Ben Carson and now Carly Fiorina, have made a big splash in the polls. Republican elites have also atypically failed to coalesce around a more conventional candidate so far. Every campaign brings its surprises. How Bernie Sanders is plotting his path to the Democratic nomination. Bernie Sanders is fast expanding his political staff, crafting a delegate strategy and cultivating a vast volunteer corps and digital fundraising network that he believes can seriously challenge Hillary Rodham Clinton for the Democratic presidential nomination.

How Bernie Sanders is plotting his path to the Democratic nomination

The Insiders: 2016 update — It’s still early! /pb/resources/img/drawbridge/drawbridge-placeholder.jpg By Ed RogersSeptember 9 at 12:13 PM As I have written here before, the invisible primary includes a phenomenon referred to as the “Cinderella cycle.”

The Insiders: 2016 update — It’s still early!

That is, at any given time, a contender, for some inexplicable reason, is in possession of the proverbial slipper, and so rides a wave of positive coverage and rampant speculation — but then he or she eventually finds the slipper doesn’t fit, and a new contestant picks it up to try it on. During a candidate’s time as Cinderella, the media coverage and accompanying good poll numbers make him or her look like the probable nominee for the party and maybe even like a potential president.

Why is Iowa so important in Presidential politics? - CNN Video. Scott Walker’s new mission: Convincing voters he is still viable. ROCHESTER, N.H. — As Scott Walker traveled through New Hampshire’s 10 counties this weekend on a rented Harley-Davidson Road King, the 2016 presidential candidate kept getting questions like these: Are you worried?

Scott Walker’s new mission: Convincing voters he is still viable

Are you going to be okay? What about Donald Trump? Martin O'Malley, potential 2016 candidate, has written a book. Gov.

Martin O'Malley, potential 2016 candidate, has written a book

Rick Perry loses top Iowa adviser, Sam Clovis - CNNPolitics.com. Confronted by anemic fundraising that forced the candidate to stop paying all its workers, Perry's campaign is preparing to off-load some of its field operation to an allied super PAC. The move will test whether an outside group can organize just as well as a traditional campaign. Over the next two weeks, Perry's field program will revamp as the $17 million super PAC plays the heavy and invests more of its war chest in propping up its cash-poor campaign.

Yet the split between Clovis, a popular talk radio host in the state courted by other campaigns, and Perry shows the limits of how much the super PAC may be able to do to keep Perry's White House hopes afloat. At DNC Meeting, Hillary Clinton's Quiet Moves Are the Ones that Matter. August 28, 2015 MINNEAPOLIS—Hillary Clinton publicly bashed her Republican presidential rivals in the cavernous hotel ballroom here Friday, but her bigger accomplishment at the Democratic National Committee summer meeting was what her campaign was doing privately. At a meet-and-greet at a nearby office tower, in small group sessions, and in one-on-ones behind closed doors at the meeting hotel, Clinton and her top staff worked the 700 or so "superdelegates" who will help choose the next Democratic nominee for firm commitments.

Donald Trump has transformed GOP politics – no matter what happens. Donald Trump has shaped the Republican presidential primary in his image. The evolution of Bernie Sanders' wildly popular campaign – in pictures. Who’s Winning the G.O.P. Campaign? Southern states set to play major role in GOP race. TUPELO, Miss. — Earlier this week, Sen. Rick Perry’s campaign details a path forward despite money woes. Former Texas governor Rick Perry (REUTERS/Rick Wilking) Is this the end for Rick Perry? Republican presidential candidate, former Texas Gov. Rick Perry, speaks at the RedState Gathering, Friday, Aug. 7, 2015, in Atlanta. The 2016 GOP field is the most fractured in recent memory. By a lot. Jeb Bush and his allies amass an unprecedented $114 million haul. Former Florida governor Jeb Bush speaks to a crowd of supporters June 17 in Pella, Iowa. Walker Draws a Crowd at Ernst's Iowa Event. Scott Walker unveils new Web site as he stockpiles money for likely president...

Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker is expected to announce his presidential bid in mid-July. (Dave Kaup/Reuters) Scott Walker is making an early push to stockpile money for his likely presidential bid, asking donors to raise $27,000 by mid-July, when he is expected to launch a White House campaign.