Fresh off the release of a new national poll that places her second in the Democratic presidential horse race, Hillary Clinton campaigned with self-assurance on Thursday in Iowa City, alongside gal pal and singer Demi Lovato.
“I am proud of the progress we have made under President Obama, and I don’t want anyone sending us back,” Clinton said, after Lovato’s rocked out to four of her chart-topping hits, including “Confident” from her latest album of the same name.
That political line was a subtle reference to not only Republicans but of her chief Democratic rival, Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt.
For the past several days, Clinton has been launching attacks on Sanders for his proposals of a single-payer national health-care system.
As she has done in the past, Clinton pledged to go up against “big special interests” and to take on “the gun lobby.” The latter is a political position for which she views a line of division against the Vermont senator.
While in the Senate, Sanders has opposed some gun-control legislation backed by some Democrats, including Clinton.
Sanders leads her in Iowa 51 percent to 43 percent among likely Democratic presidential caucus-goers, according to the latest CNN/ORC Poll, published Thursday.
Total # of attendees at tonight's Iowa City rally with @HillaryClinton & @ddlovato: 1,700, according to fire marshal officials. #IAcaucus
— Quentin Misiag (@quentin_misiag) January 22, 2016
CNN/ORC surveyed 2,002 Iowa adults by telephone Jan. 15 to Jan. 20, including 266 likely Republican presidential caucus-goers and 280 likely Democratic presidential caucus-goers. Both samples have a margin of error of plus or minus 6 percentage points.
In a December CNN/ORC Poll, Clinton led Sanders in Iowa by 18 points, 54 percent to 36 percent.
More than 1,700 people filled the IMU Main Lounge, according to the local fire marshal’s office. The venue’s official capacity, according to the UI, is 1,200.
RELATED: Clinton returns to Iowa City
Despite the large attendance, Clinton spoke for only five minutes.
“That’s the shortest stump speech I’ve ever heard,” a pair of cameramen employed for CSPAN said as volunteers tore down the stage and took down large blue Clinton campaign banners.
Clinton’s appearance alongside Lovato was the latest in a string of high-profile surrogate visits. In the past few months, the former secretary of state has been backed by “Girls” star Lena Dunham and pop star Katy Perry.
Actress Jamie Lee Curtis and former U.S. women’s tennis star Billie Jean King will campaign for Clinton in Iowa between Jan. 24-26, Clinton’s campaign announced this week.
Key Iowa power brokers present at the event included Rep. Dave Loebsack, D-Iowa, former Iowa Democratic Party Chairwoman Sue Dvorsky, former UI Democrats head Carter Bell, and representatives from the AFSCME Iowa labor union.
In interviews with The Daily Iowan, several dozens of UI students said they came out on the sole basis of seeing Lovato or as Sanders’ supporters to listen to what the two-time presidential hopeful had to say.
That included UI freshman McCulloch Hall, 18, of Cedar Falls. Hall, who said she will caucus for Sanders, but she showed up because the event was free.
PHOTOS: Pop star & actress @ddlovato rocks out at University of Iowa for @HillaryClinton #IAcaucus #Election2016 pic.twitter.com/LmigzencFE
— Quentin Misiag (@quentin_misiag) January 22, 2016
Others, such as 21-year-old Julia Kilian stood in line beginning at 3 p.m. to land a front-row spot in front of Clinton and Lovato.
“Literally incredible,” Kilian, a UI student from Clive said. After she snapped a “selfie” with Lovato, Kilian called Clinton “gracious and approachable.”
Several others, including 16-year-old West High student Anna Tafolla, came to the event on the sole purpose to get a glimpse of the 23-year-old Lovato.
“It’s just all surreal,” Tafolla said. “I look up to her so much and to have her here right in my town, I feel so lucky.”
Tafolla, who said her mother is a “big Hillary supporter,” said she would caucus for Clinton if she were old enough.
Or, better yet, she said, Lovato.
“When I saw her in concert last year, she waved at me, and I about fell over,” Tafolla said, recalling a concert at the i-Wireless Center in Moline.
