Mr. Romney, who has been cautiously calibrating expectations about his chances in a state full of social conservatives, is now playing to win the Iowa caucuses. Television commercials are on the way, volunteers are arriving and a stealth operation is ready to burst into view in the weeks leading up to the caucuses, the first Republican nominating contest, on Jan. 3.
The escalation of his effort in Iowa, along with a more aggressive schedule in New Hampshire and an expanding presence in South Carolina, is the strongest indication yet that Mr. Romney is shifting from a defensive, make-no-mistakes crouch to an assertive offensive strategy. If he can take command in the three early-voting states, he could make the nominating battle a swift one…
Volunteers and a skeleton staff have been diligently reconnecting with the 29,949 people who supported Mr. Romney four years ago when he won 25 percent of the vote. He fell short to former Gov. Mike Huckabee of Arkansas, but party strategists say the same level of support could be enough for Mr. Romney to win because the social conservative vote is likely to split.
The campaign, which does not want its supporters to go elsewhere just because Mr. Romney did not ask for their vote, is recruiting precinct leaders and focusing its attention on counties he won. But aides are also working to identify Republicans and independents frustrated at the country’s direction who could be persuaded to attend their first caucus. They will receive a nudge suggesting that spending 30 minutes on a January night is preferable to a second Obama term.
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