One of the biggest surprises in the race for the White House in 2016 is the surge in popularity of anti-establishment candidates in both parties. In towns across Iowa, the crowds supporting Democratic candidate Bernie Sanders, a U.S. senator from Vermont, are growing. "I think I share just about all of his feelings about important positions," said Lorna Caulkins, a retired librarian from Grinnell. It's a similar story for businessman Donald Trump, a Republican candidate who has been speaking to overflow crowds in the state. "I believe Donald has the right tools, said Marlonda Bell-Clark of Dubuque. In a recent Des Moines Register/Bloomberg Politics poll of likely voters in the upcoming Iowa caucuses, both Sanders and Trump are surging in popularity. Trump supporter Dick Clark, also of Dubuque, said he knows why. "There's an anger in America. An anger against politicians," Clark said. "He's saying the right things. He's saying things that are unpolitically correct, but I do not believe that anger is going to dissipate, so I think he's got a chance." Caulkins called Trump "so extreme, and to many people, I suppose, Sanders is extreme, too." The out-of-the-mainstream positions of both Sanders and Trump on issues of immigration and health care are contributing to their popularity surge. But Sanders supporter Caulkins said it might not be enough. |