DES MOINES, Iowa — Republican presidential candidates spent the last day of 2011 making their closing arguments to curious, often uncertain, voters as the race remained fluid.
In the latest Des Moines Register poll, former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney led with 24 percent. Next was Texas Rep. Ron Paul, at 22 percent, followed by former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum at 15 percent. Trailing were Texas Gov. Rick Perry, former House Speaker Newt Gingrich and Minnesota Rep. Michele Bachmann.
Romney and Santorum made last-ditch pitches to rally support. Perry tore into Santorum for aiding in “fleecing the American taxpayer.” Paul went home to Texas for the holiday weekend, and Bachmann rallied voters from her Urbandale, Iowa, headquarters.
Santorum stoked the most curiosity Saturday. Until this week, he had been crisscrossing the state almost unnoticed.
But in the past few days, he’s become the darling of many in the state’s influential evangelical Christian community.
Santorum urged potential caucus-goers at a library in Indianola to ignore national pundits about who can or cannot win in a general election.
“Trust your judgment and lead,” he told the crowd. “Lead and be bold. If you do, you will change the tenor of this race.”
