Committed, undecided line up to see Clinton in Iowa City

IOWA CITY - She's a former first lady, U.S. senator, secretary of state and now a formidable candidate for president.

But Hillary Clinton's visit to the Iowa City Public Library was news to many people hurrying to work or simply taking a walk through the downtown Ped Mall Tuesday morning.

'What are all these people doing?” Joe Daringer of Iowa City asked, pointing to a line of people waiting to get into the library nearly two hours before what the Clinton campaign described as a 'organizing event,”

'Here?” Daringer said when told the people - a couple of hundred strong at that point - were waiting to see the leading candidate for the 2016 Democratic nomination for president. 'At the library? Of all places. How are they going to get them in there?”

The Clinton campaign squeezed about 250 of her supporters into the library's meeting rooms and with more in an overflow area.

Daringer, who said he leans toward Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders, wasn't impressed.

'When Obama was here he was over on the Pentacrest, and there were thousands of people,” he said.

The Koepnick family of Iowa City wasn't concerned about the size of the venue. Tina Koepnick said she backed Clinton eight years ago and she's committed to backing her this time.

'I'm looking for someone who is smart, articulate and a good leader - and that's Hillary,” Tina Koepnick said as she waited in line with her husband Keven, and their daughter, Emily, around the corner from the library.

'I've been ready to vote for Hillary for a while,” Kevin added.

Emily, a University of Iowa student, is eager to cast her first vote in a presidential election for Clinton, who she has admired for a long time.

'She's a strong female who's done great things for the country,” Emily Koepnick said.

Clinton has a 'great track record” and 'talks about the right things in the right way,” added Sue Zaleski of Solon who could see the library from her spot in the line that wound down the Ped Mall.

However, first-time voter Bruce James, who was just in front of Zaleski, wasn't so sure.

'I'm keeping my ears open,” James said. That includes listening to Sanders. He likes what Sanders has to say about the economy and taxing the rich.

'I need to hear her speak,” he said about Clinton, 'and then I'll make up my mind.”

Loretta Ross drove in from Topeka because she has 'great respect” for Clinton, but like James, she's listening to Sanders, too.

'I'm weighing the established foundation Hillary brings - her experience and the breadth of her experience - with Sanders' very clear goals in areas that are important to me,” Ross said.

At the moment, Ross added, she thinks Clinton has more general election appeal.