Romney goes retail at light speed

WEST DES MOINES, Iowa – Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney (R) is campaigning at a breakneck pace, showing the urgency candidates out here feel with 48 hours to go until the first-in-the-nation caucuses.

{mosads}At a house party here, packed with reporters and a surprising amount of undecided voters, Romney rattled off his stump speech in a matter of minutes.

The former governor has a schedule packed with similar retail events, a tradition in the early voting states of Iowa and New Hampshire, as he and other candidates are working furiously to garner last-minute support.

“I want you to go the caucuses. I need you to go to the caucuses,” Romney told the packed room.

Romney touched on school choice, the threat of terrorism, traditional marriage, energy and spending in Washington.

Several caucus-goers in the room said they are still undecided, and at least two voters said Romney’s quick speech had done little to push them to his side.

Eric Carlson, a caucus-goer, said he is leaning toward supporting Romney Thursday night, but he is still undecided between Romney and former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee (R).

Carlson had a chance to ask Romney a question after the event, and he asked about the former governor’s foreign policy experience, specifically framed around Romney’s experience as CEO of the Olympics in Salt Lake City.

Carlson said afterward that Romney gave a “general answer,” but he was still impressed.

The candidates are scrambling all over the state in very cold weather with time running out before Iowans head to their local precincts to caucus.

News on New Year’s Eve added to the sense of urgency here as The Des Moines Register, the largest newspaper in the state, released its latest poll showing Huckabee continuing to lead the Republican field.

On the Democratic side, the poll showed Sen. Barack Obama (Ill.) widening his lead over Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (N.Y.) and former Sen. John Edwards (N.C.).