WASHINGTON - The presidential contenders from both major U.S. political parties are making a last-minute push for votes in Iowa in advance of the February 1 party caucuses. And it’s clear the main battle lines are now drawn in both party races — national frontrunner Donald Trump versus Texas Senator Ted Cruz on the Republican side and frontrunner Hillary Clinton in a much tighter than expected matchup with Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders among Democrats.
In the Republican race, Trump has intensified his attacks on Cruz and is wielding the endorsement of former Republican vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin as a major advantage as the Iowa race moves into the final stage.
Trump remains locked in a tight race with Cruz and Trump hopes the endorsement from Palin will give him an edge with conservative voters. “This is a woman who, from day one, I said if I ever do this I have to get her support. She feels it and she understands it better than anybody,” Trump told cheering supporters in Ames, Iowa, during a joint appearance with the former Alaska governor.
Palin remains influential with Tea Party activists in Iowa and elsewhere and many analysts saw her decision to side with Trump as a blow to the Cruz campaign. Palin helped Cruz win his Senate race in Texas in 2012 but decided to back Trump in this year’s presidential race. “He is beholden to no one but ‘we the people.’ How refreshing! He is perfectly positioned to let you make America great again,” Palin said to cheers at the rally in Ames.
Palin’s star within the party, however, has faded a bit in recent years. Her decision to quit the Alaska governor’s job early and focus on building up her career as a hybrid political pundit-celebrity has made her more of a conservative pop icon than someone who has broad political influence within the Republican Party.
The latest CNN-ORC poll has Trump ahead of Cruz in Iowa now by a margin of 37 to 26 percent, with Florida Senator Marco Rubio in third place with 14 percent. Previous polls had Cruz ahead in Iowa and some analysts now wonder if the Palin endorsement and Trump’s intensified attacks on Cruz are taking a toll.
The Trump campaign has issued a new attack ad directed at Cruz and accuses him of "flip-flopping" on the key issue of immigration. Trump has made stopping illegal immigration the core of his campaign pitch.
For his part, Cruz remains focused on winning over evangelical voters, a key constituency in Iowa that reliably turns out to take part in the Republican caucus votes every four years.
“People are waking up. There is an awakening that is powerful, that is sweeping the country,” Cruz told supporters during a recent meet-and-greet event in Iowa. “And what’s happening is very simple. The spirit of freedom is sweeping America, so I’m thrilled to be here with you today.”
Cruz supporters insist they are better organized on the ground than the Trump campaign. Trump has dominated the debate in the Republican race since last August but some experts say it remains an open question as to whether the Trump supporters, who seem so enthusiastic at his rallies, will actually take the time to register to vote and show up on caucus night.
“Some voters will say, ‘Look, I like Donald Trump, but I really want a candidate who can win, who can beat Hillary Clinton.’ So those types of considerations become much more apparent for voters as they get closer to their actual vote,” said John Fortier of the Bipartisan Policy Center in Washington.
Some establishment Republicans seem to be trying to become comfortable with the notion that Trump could become the party nominee. Part of that stems from a deep distrust of Cruz among Republican congressional leaders and establishment worries that Cruz at the head of the GOP ticket could cost them control of the Senate in November.
Diehard conservative groups are fighting back and raising questions about whether Trump is a committed conservative or whether he would transform himself into a moderate once he wins the nomination. The conservative magazine, founded by iconic conservative William F. Buckley, is devoting a special issue aimed at stopping Trump with “Against Trump” on the cover. This battle is just beginning.
After Rubio in Iowa, the rest of the so-called establishment field is lagging well behind, including former Florida governor Jeb Bush, New Jersey Governor Chris Christie and Ohio Governor John Kasich. Bush continues to take shots at Trump with the hope of coalescing the support of those opposed to Trump becoming the nominee.