Reply #45: I think it's been the strategy

[Adelante]

She has presented herself as larger up to very recently. For most of the year she ran an incumbent's campaign without being an incumbent. In some ways, she was treated that way by both Edwards and Obama, as well. They were targeting a frontrunner, but it reinforced the image she wanted for herself as an incumbent. I started seeing this during the summer or sensing that Obama and Edwards needed to realize they are opponents running against each other and not just Hillary. But I do believe that Hillary has been very, very soft on Edwards in comparison to Obama, and this is because she sees Obama as the challenge. A stable Edwards in Iowa has been a necessity for Obama moving up less than he otherwise would have, I believe, and is what works best for Clinton, so she hasn't wanted to weaken Edwards.