US Elections 2016: Obama appears to back Hillary Clinton in Democrat race against 'bright, shiny' Bernie Sanders

Just as it was young voters who helped Mr Obama win Iowa eight years ago, so they are likely to be critical to the fortunes of Mr Sanders

The Democratic presidential hopeful Bernie Sanders with supporters at a town hall meeting in Independence, Iowa (Reuters)

Presidents try not to endorse, but Barack Obama veered close to it when he acknowledged that in her tight race in Iowa, which holds its caucuses next week, Hillary Clinton is facing a foe in Senator Bernie Sanders who has the advantage of being “the bright, shiny new object” on the campaign trail.

With his call to voters – particularly young ones – to join his “political revolution”, that would offer free college tuition and free healthcare for all, Mr Sanders has seen a recent surge of support both in Iowa and especially in New Hampshire, which holds its primary elections eight days later on 9 February.

“Bernie came in with the luxury of being a complete long shot and just letting loose,” Mr Obama offered yesterday. “I think Hillary came in with the both privilege – and burden – of being perceived as the front-runner... You’re always looking at the bright, shiny object that people haven’t seen before – that’s a disadvantage to her.”

The remarks, made in an interview with Politico website, appeared aimed at offering support to Ms Clinton, whom he beat from behind in Iowa in 2008. But in doing so, Mr Obama also highlighted what may be holding her back. While she is “wicked smart” about policy, that “could make her more cautious and her campaign more prose than poetry”, he said.

President Barack Obama meets with Secretary of State Hillary Clinton in the Oval Office shortly after she was confirmed and sworn in, in 2009 (Corbis)

In Iowa, especially, the competition between the two front-runners remains tight, however. Tensions were high ahead of a CNN town hall forum in Des Moines when they, as well as former Maryland Governor Martin O’Malley who is languishing far behind in third place in all the polls, were to be given half an hour each to answer questions from the audience.

Just as it was young voters who helped Mr Obama win Iowa eight years ago, so they are likely to be critical to the fortunes of Mr Sanders. If he manages to beat Ms Clinton in Iowa and in New Hampshire, where he has a more solid lead, her momentum going forward could be seriously slowed.

He may be 73 years old with the mien of a mad professor, but Mr Sanders seems already to have become a natural draw to younger Democrats, who attend his events in striking numbers. He has worked social media hard to win them over, far outstripping Ms Clinton in Facebook followers, and dominating political discussion on the blog-sharing site, Tumblr. A CBS poll gave him 60 per cent of Democrat voters under 45 nationally to 31 per cent for Ms Clinton.

Relying heavily on younger voters is risky, however. Turnout is difficult to predict – they are less likely than their older counterparts to vote on caucus day. Almost one in five of Democrat caucus-goers were under 30 in 2008 when Mr Obama was running, but that was an exception. Some years it is half that number.

Both campaigns are striving to woo students on Iowa’s university campuses and even high schools. Mr Sanders has gone a step further, block-booking fleets of rental cars and buses as part of his “Go Home for Bernie” drive to persuade college students to leave campus for a day and travel to their homes to vote and organise others to vote, which may be in conservative-leaning counties where he has less of a natural advantage.

“If we win this thing,” Tad Devine, a top Sanders strategist told The New York Times at the weekend, “in large measure it’s going to be because these young voters turn out beginning in Iowa and also because we can convince the Democratic establishment that Bernie can be a stronger candidate because of his appeal to young people, the way Barack Obama was in 2008”.