Trouble is brewing for the Clinton machine as the Iowa caucus draws near. Recent polls indicate the former Queen of Democrats lost her grip on the party’s Iron Throne.
On Thursday, Hillary Clinton staged an emergency press conference outside the Des Moines Register following the release of the paper’s latest poll.
The poll showed Clinton’s lead on Sen. Bernie Sanders dwindling, with only two points separating the Democratic candidates.
Gov. Martin O’Malley was not featured in the poll due to pollsters forgetting about O’Malley’s candidacy.
“The Des Moines Register? I’ve never heard of it,” Clinton said when asked about the poll.
Huma Abedin, faithful Clintonite and longtime aide, reminded Clinton the press conference was outside the Register’s office.
Clinton promptly amended her answer.
“Listen, like most Americans, I’ve taken a few basic math courses,” she said. “In these math courses, I learned two is greater than one. That’s all that matters.”
According to an insider within the Clinton campaign, the source of the former Secretary of State’s dwindling poll numbers is her lack of presence on the campaign trail.
In recent weeks, Clinton stopped appearing at events and instead recruited her husband, daughter and celebrity friends to speak on her behalf.
“She hasn’t been campaigning. She keeps having random, niche celebrities show up and speak on her behalf,” a Clinton staffer said. “People don’t even know who Lena Dunham is. Like, unless you’re gay or a Jewish feminist, Lena Dunham is irrelevant.”
The Clinton campaign cut ties with actress Lena Dunham due to Dunham not resonating with Iowa caucus goers.
Upcoming events for the Clinton campaign include speeches from her husband, President Bill Clinton, a stint on the Ellen Show and a Mexican-themed fiesta hosted by Univision.
“I think the American people know me well enough,” Clinton said when asked why she wasn’t appearing at her own events. “I don’t know if you know this, but they call me ‘Abuela.’”
John Gavin Harp is a 20-year-old mass communication junior from St. Francisville, Louisiana. You can reach him on Twitter @SirJohnGavin.