The three main candidates the media are focusing on for the election so far are Bernie Sanders (D), Donald Trump (R), and Hillary Clinton (D). Other notable names in the presidential race are Ted Cruz (R), Marco Rubio (R) and Martin O’Malley (D).
The upcoming Iowa caucuses are the main focus of these candidates. The predictions of the polls came out recently, which put Trump in the lead of the Republican party at 32 percent, putting Cruz behind him at 25 percent, and left Rubio trailing at 18 percent. Trump’s influence with non-college graduates puts him at an obvious advantage in his party.
For the Democratic party, Clinton and Sanders are nearly neck and neck; Clinton leads at 48 percent and Sanders is closely following her at 45 percent. Clinton’s 3 percent advantage over Sanders is hard to pinpoint. Gender and different age groups tend to lean towards either candidate; women tend to support Clinton and men side with Sanders.
A wildcard in the election was the recent resurface of Sarah Palin, the former governor of Alaska, when she announced her support for Donald Trump. Her support for Trump is to be used as an endorsement, which would be huge for Trump’s campaign because of her significant influence in Republican Party. The two conservatives make a likely team when the idea of “making America great again” is brought up in the presidential election.
Could Palin’s support for Trump give him a advantage in the Iowa caucuses? “Over the years Palin has actually cultivated a number of relationships in Iowa,” said Craig Robinson, the former political director of the Republican Party of Iowa. Palin’s Iowan relationships could help Trump in the long run. Also, the attention her endorsement is getting from the public is enough to turn the spotlight on Trump, and away from his competitors such as Ted Cruz, whose loss in this caucus would be a devastation to his campaign.
Candidate Bernie Sanders has gotten support from most age groups and has been endorsed heavily throughout his campaign with a variety of senators, governors and congressmen. The millennial generation is recognized for their support of Sanders, making multiple endorsement websites like FeelTheBurn.org. A candidate who focuses on climate change, cutting taxes for the middle class, and reforming student loans is hard to dislike.
