Former Secretary of State Clinton is supported by 51 percent of Iowa Democrats who are likely to vote in the Feb. 1 caucuses, according to a Quinnipiac University poll released today.

Sanders (I-Vt.) receives 42 percent of the vote and former Maryland Gov. Martin O'Malley takes just 4 percent.

These results are nearly identical to Quinnipiac's October survey.

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"Sometimes running in place is a good thing," said Peter Brown, assistant director of the Quinnipiac University poll, in a statement.

"The only way Secretary Clinton is going to lose the nomination is a scenario in which she drops the early Iowa and New Hampshire contests to Sen. Sanders, who then might become the 'momentum' candidate," Brown added. "So she'll be just fine if she 'only' wins by 10 points."

Sanders and his team can find several hopeful data points in the poll. He leads Clinton 47 percent to 42 percent on the question of who can best handle the economy. Voters traditionally care about the economy above all other issues.

Sanders is also judged more honest and trustworthy than Clinton — just 4 percent distrust him versus 25 percent who believe Clinton is not honest and trustworthy — and he is slightly ahead of her in the gap between favorable and unfavorable ratings.

Clinton, on the other hand, is considered by those polled to best handle foreign policy — 77 percent, compared to Sanders's 15 percent, and terrorism — 68 percent for Clinton versus 19 percent for Sanders.

But, more than any other statistic, Sanders will have trouble overcoming the perception that he is far less likely to win a general election than is the better-resourced establishment candidate Clinton.

Asked whether Clinton has a good chance of defeating the Republican nominee in a general election, 85 percent of likely caucus-goers said yes. When asked the same question about Sanders, only 54 percent agreed that he has a good chance of winning.

"It's not that Iowa Democrats are in love with Secretary Clinton right now," Brown said. "They even think Sanders would be better handling the economy, generally the hallmark of the candidate who wins the Democratic nomination."

"But despite all the things about Clinton that gives Democrats pause, there is one thing that unites them: She looks like a winner in November."