Campaign Journal: Waukee, IA

As the Republican candidates for president make their final rounds before Iowans cast the nation's first 2012 votes on Tuesday, it remains unclear which hopeful will garner the strongest support from the Hawkeye State's large base of social conservatives.

Unlike in 2008, when many of the state's Christian conservatives flocked to former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee, there has been a tug-of-war for their allegiance this election cycle among Mr. Perry, former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum and U.S. Rep. Michele Bachmann of Minnesota.

 

I spent Sunday morning at Waukee Point of Grace Church, which has played host to all of the GOP contenders except for former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney. Two precincts will be casting votes there tomorrow evening, and the voters I talked to were anything but cohesive how they're viewing the race.

 

"It's not so much that evangelicals are so divided," said Point of Grace pastor Jeff Mullen, a candidate for state Senate who announced his support of Ms. Bachmann in June. "It's really simple math, with the number of very strong conservative candidates."

During Sunday worship services, Mullen urged his congregants to show up on Tuesday and to spend the day in prayer regarding their ballot choice. (A clip of his comments can be found above.)