Caucus Tonight: Franchising Prepares to be Impacted

The Iowas Caucus is the first peek at who will be presidential nominees.

SPONSORED 12:12PM • 02/01/16

This first stop of the 2016 Presidential election is here. The polls for the Iowa Caucus closer later tonight and it could give us an idea of who the presidential nominees will be. For those that are a bit confused, including this writer, about what the caucus is, here is a quick primer. This event is not an official primary and it works a bit differently. Residents of the state meet in precinct caucuses, of which there are 1,681, to determine delegates to represent the state’s 99 counties. These delegates are registered members of the Democratic and Republican parties and choose their preferred candidate for their party’s nomination. The event has become a hotbed of media attention and is the first glimpse of forecasting the presidential election. There are a number of issues that are discussed during this time and franchising may want to pay close attention, as each candidate could affect the industry.

Donald Trump

Trump has been deemed the frontrunner by the media and his aggressive attitude has drummed up some interesting sound bites. Trump is a well-known businessman and he has made that abundantly clear for anyone who has not been paying attention to the 24-hour news cycle. He has touted his prowess in getting deals done in the business world and says he can relate that to being president. His brash attitude and confidence only helps in his favor. He plans to offer a number of tax breaks for companies, which can assist franchises.

Bernie Sanders

The polar opposite of Trump, the Senator from Vermont is the little engine that could during this election cycle. Once an afterthought, Sanders has become a frontrunner thanks to his no-nonsense campaign ethics and grassroots championing from his supporters. He has vowed to support a $15 minimum wage and reform Wall Street.

Marco Rubio

The Florida Senator has towed the line carefully in appealing to every sector of the Republican Party. His considerate attitude has won him some favor from the masses and is considered a dark horse to take the Republican nomination. Rubio as president could be appealing to franchises as he plans to cut taxes for small businesses by 25 percent and has said in the past that he does not support a minimum wage increase.

Hillary Clinton

The political stalwart has been on the presidential campaign ever since Bill Clinton left the White House. Some franchise brands would welcome a Hillary Clinton presidency as she said she wants to eliminate red tape to assist businesses and allow tax credits for businesses. Clinton has remained steadfast in sticking to her core beliefs and that may benefit franchising.