The latest Iowa poll means more than you might think

… [W]hen it comes to Iowa polls, the Register poll (now conducted with CNN) has long had a sterling reputation, and on Saturday evening, the latest iteration of that survey was released. …

Former vice president Joe Biden leads the field with 24 percent. (That may not sound like a “lead,” but remember, this is a field with some two dozen candidates.) …

What does this tell us about who will win Iowa? Very little. … But the Register’s poll and other recent surveys do tell us a great deal about who has any actual chance at winning Iowa ― and, more important, the party’s nomination. Even this far out, eventual caucuses winners should already be pulling in some support. CONT.

James Downie, Washington Post