Some veteran Democrats and Clinton supporters have said that the media’s desire for a contested race on the Democratic side has been a major impetus for Sanders’ apparent sharp increase in support. He is clearly doing well in Iowa and New Hampshire, but some say: “[The media] want to recreate the 2008 campaign, but let’s face it, it’s not.”

Speaking to House Democrats last night, Vice President Joe Biden got laughs from the crowd as he addressed the GOP primary field. “We may have been given a gift from the Lord in the presidential race,” he said. “I don’t know who to root for more -- Cruz, Bush or what’s that guy’s name?”

Presidential hopeful Sen. Bernie Sanders had a one-on-one meeting with President Obama yesterday. Following the meeting, Sanders said that the President is not looking to tip the scales in favor of his former Secretary of State. Sanders was asked about comments made by the President a few days ago where he came close to endorsing Hillary Clinton, saying she would be the most prepared for the job compared to anyone who has not been Vice President. Sanders downplayed the comments, saying he has a good relationship with Obama.

Despite it being a downfall of their 2012 strategy, the conservative establishment is readdressing the issue of immigration in an attempt to foil Donald Trump. Principles PAC, with the goal of dethroning Trump, has released an ad that attacks the front-runner on immigration. The spot it part of a $1 million ad buy in Iowa. The narrator of the ad says: “Trump can’t answer tough questions, like why he’d let millions of illegal immigrants stay in America, and even supports a pathway to citizenship.”

Sen. Marco Rubio will be able to collect delegates from early voting states without winning any of them. He is not expected to do any better than third in either Iowa, New Hampshire or South Carolina. Up until the March 15 primaries, however, the GOP allocates delegates proportionally, based on each candidate’s share of the vote. His campaign team said they always expected the nomination battle to go on for a while. Rubio hopes he can slowly dent the high-flying campaigns of Trump and Cruz over the next few months.

Sen. Ted Cruz has challenged GOP front-runner Donald Trump to a one-on-one debate, following Trump’s decision to skip the Fox News debate tomorrow evening. Trying to keep the heat on Trump, Cruz said that he would be “happy to go an hour and a half mano a mano, me and Donald with no moderators any time before the Iowa caucuses.”

Republican front-runner Donald Trump carries 31% of likely GOP Iowa caucus goers, while Sen. Ted Cruz comes in at 29%, in a new Quinnipiac University poll. The candidates are virtually tied with the margin of error in the poll at plus or minus four. Less than a week before the caucuses, the conservative wing of the GOP is ruing the day in Iowa. Sen. Marco Rubio came in third with 13% of the vote.

Sen. Elizabeth Warren, the stalwart liberal and powerful progressive force in Congress, alluded to support for Sen. Bernie Sanders’ message, in a speech last week on the sixth anniversary of the Citizens United Supreme Court decision. She said: “Anyone who shrugs and claims that change is just too hard has crawled into bed with the billionaires who want to run this country like some private club.”

New England’s largest newspaper, The Boston Globe, has “enthusiastically” endorsed Hillary Clinton for president. An editorial published on Sunday night showers Clinton with praise, while criticizing her main rival Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders. The Boston Globe believes that Clinton will keep what President Barack Obama did right, “while also fixing his failures, especially on gun control and immigration reform.”

Former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg has asked his advisors to draw up battle plans for a possible presidential run. The move, according to advisors, was in part motivated by Donald Trump’s dominance in the Republican field, and Hillary Clinton’s inability to shake off Sen. Bernie Sanders. Bloomberg has entertained a possible third-party candidacy in the past, but never felt like he could actually win. 2016 may look a little different.