On the last full day of campaigning before Iowa's GOP caucuses, Mitt Romney is working to hold on to his narrow advantage as he faces a surging Rick Santorum, an unpredictable Ron Paul factor and the still-difficult task of winning over many undecided conservative voters in a state that spurned him four years ago. Romney has been counting on a multi-candidate field splintering that vote to allow him to win, largely with the 25 percent of voters who backed him in 2008. Romney's central argument as he looks to win in Iowa: that he's the Republican best able to beat President Barack Obama. Santorum, an anti-abortion crusader who is rising in polls at just the right time, is looking to unify socially conservative voters behind his candidacy. Their support has been splintered among several candidates until now. Romney's had trouble winning them over because of his Mormon faith and past switches on abortion and other social issues. The issue of what type of candidate to choose cuts to the heart of why the Iowa race is so volatile; an NBC/Marist poll last week showed nearly even percentages of Iowa caucus-goers want a candidate who shares their values as want a candidate who can beat Obama. “The first thing you see when you talk to any Iowa Republican is that desire to beat Barack Obama,” Iowa GOP Chairman Matt Strawn said. That's hurt Paul, who's looking to stem a recent slide as he's been attacked as out of the mainstream on foreign policy. The libertarian-leaning Texas congressman is trying to counter the suggestion that he's a fringe candidate, calling himself “electable” in a Sunday interview with ABC from his home state. Texas Gov. Rick Perry, former House Speaker Newt Gingrich and Minnesota Rep. Michele Bachmann, all trailing, were looking to make final pitches in campaign stops Monday. All are hoping they can sway the roughly half of likely caucus-goers who say they are undecided or willing to change their minds two days before the leadoff presidential caucuses.
