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Article snippet: Tuesday will mark exactly five months until the Iowa caucuses, the first contest in the Democratic nominating process for president. It’s a milestone that also signals the campaign becoming more competitive. Ten candidates are slated to debate in Houston on Sept. 12, the first time all the leading contenders will be on the same stage together. That means the “air war” will soon begin in earnest. The race’s front-runner, former Vice President MORE (D-Calif.) have already run TV ads in Iowa. Other contenders are expected to follow suit shortly. More broadly, Democratic voters across the country are likely to tune in with ever-greater focus as the field is winnowed down and the pace of campaigning picks up. “The field is about where I would have expected it to be. It has sifted itself out,” said Karen Finney, who served as senior spokeswoman for MORE’s 2016 campaign but is unaffiliated with any candidate this cycle. “Voters are starting to have their say about whose ideas they are being intrigued by, who they are compelled by, at this moment,” Finney added. The basic contours of the race have become clear. Biden leads virtually every poll, albeit by wildly divergent margins. Explanations of his lead are equally divergent. Skeptics contend that his strong numbers are mostly linked to name recognition and the degree to which he is associated in the public’s mind with former President Obama. But his backers insist the affection for him is real and deep. They say that... Link to the full article to read more