“Joe’s name is not coming up much,” said one county Democratic chair in Iowa. “There is a lot of interest in these new, fresh and younger candidates.”

To illustrate that point, this Democrat noted that a local bookstore owner was scrambling to get more copies of a book by Mayor Pete Buttigieg, whose candidacy is generating considerable early buzz.

Team Biden believes his official entry will change the conversation. It also believes his early poll numbers, which show him at the top of the pack, are anchored on more than just universal name recognition among Democrats.

The Iowa county chair, though, was skeptical. “I really don’t think it is very deep or strong support.”