Clinton’s backers get a Bern notice

Bernie Sanders’ popularity wave in New Hampshire may be giving Hillary Clinton’s Bay State backers heartburn.

The Franklin Pierce University/Boston Herald poll of New Hampshire Democrats, which shows Sanders coursing ahead of Clinton 44 percent to 37 percent, puts some of Clinton’s early and vocal supporters, including members of the Bay State delegation like Reps. Stephen Lynch and Joe Kennedy III, in the difficult spot of trying to drum up support for someone voters don’t seem very excited about.

The lawmakers are among those set to serve as stump surrogates for Clinton in the months ahead. But the lack of voter enthusiasm, compounded with Clinton’s ongoing issues, such as the Justice Department probe of her handling of classified documents on her private email server, makes the job even harder.

So far, they’re keeping up a brave face, even though Clinton’s mounting troubles could put them in the position of having to decide whether to jump to Vice President Joe Biden’s as-yet unannounced campaign, or go with Sanders.

“With the election more than a year out, congressman Kennedy is proud to support Secretary Clinton as she works to earn the support of voters across the country,” said Kennedy’s spokeswoman Emily Kaufman.

Lynch, who is traveling out of the country, could not be reached for comment.

Perhaps the one saving grace for Clinton is that the poll isn’t exactly the best news for the progressive Vermont senator either, despite the big crowds and formidable polling numbers he’s drawing in the Granite State and elsewhere.

There is still some reason for Sanders’ backers to worry. In any primary race, and in New Hampshire in particular, peaking too early can be the kiss of death.

It “invites a whole lot of New Hampshire scrutiny,” said Democratic strategist Scott Ferson. “It can start to slide downward for him.”

There have already been some visible cracks in the Sanders machine, such as his initial inability to deal with the confrontation by Black Lives Matter protesters who ousted him from his own stage in Seattle. But he bounced back, adding a more robust criminal justice agenda to his platform and drawing praise from some activists. Clinton’s recent meeting with members of the movement got much more lukewarm reviews.

Most of all Sanders’ surge shows that Clinton is not the inevitable, unbeatable primary force she was thought to be.

It is still early in the campaign season. But if the Sanders train proves unstoppable, Clinton supporters may have to decide whether they need to jump on sooner rather than later.