Biden to visit Iowa -- is he pitching his own 2016 presidential bid?

Ostensibly, the visit is to promote President Obama's push for free community college access for Americans, but his choice of Iowa is leading some to speculate that he's looking to remind voters that he's a candidate.

Vice President Joe Biden will making a visit to Iowa on Thursday as part of a push for some of the policies described in the 2015 State of the Union address — and he’s bringing with him some excitement over a possible 2016 White House run.

The state of Iowa often becomes a focal point for White House speculation as election years approach, and it appears it will be more of the same this year, as Biden is seen as one of the few that might be able to take on presumed Democratic frontrunner Hillary Clinton, according to a CNN report.

For example, one former 2008 Biden campaign worker remarked in the CNN report that she did not think that it was a “coincidence that he is coming to Iowa as opposed to, say, Arizona, where I assume they also have community colleges.”

Iowa is unique because it is the first state in the nation to hold a caucus, which is critical to presidential candidates hoping to establish themselves as viable candidates in the early lead-up to the election, gaining momentum and donors that could prove critical in the stretch run to the White House.

Biden was also in Iowa back in October for an event with then-Iowa Senate candidate Bruce Baley, and he also visited in September to joint he “Nuns on a Bus” campaign for social justice.

Biden plans to make a couple stops in Des Moines on Thursday, first visiting Drake University to talk about the administration’s economic policies, and then he will participate in a roundtable discussion at Des Moines Area Community College’s Ankeny Campus.

The roundtable’s purpose is to focus on helping Americans go to college and how that can affect future employment. However, Biden only told a small circle of advisers and friends about the trip, suggesting to some that a major reason for the trip may be to remind supporters of his potential candidacy.

Iowa Democrats are worried about the nomination being uncompetitive with Hillary Clinton showing such a large lead, so Biden’s presence may be a welcome one. The 2008 featured a fierce competition between Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton, which ended in a White House victory and two terms in office for Obama.