Clinton growing on Iowans

"If I had to decide today, I'd caucus for Edwards," said Dave Parsons, 54, a businessman from Iowa City. "But for some reason, with every week that goes by, Hillary seems less like a dragon lady to me."

As the intense campaigning continues, Edwards, who's on track to be the first candidate to visit all 99 counties, is trying to fend off doubts about his long-term prospects. Members of the Obama camp, pleased with their candidate's own four-day Iowa excursion last week, are hoping to pick up anyone who might abandon Edwards.

A lot of rank-and-file Iowa Democrats, whose enthusiasm for this race is extraordinary, are simply looking for a winner. They won't decide who that is until they have to, about three months from now.

"Change is not a strong enough word for what I want," said Linda Sturdevant, 62, a disabled dental hygienist from Washington, Iowa. "The Constitution has been trampled on - at no price to the people doing the trampling. The Democrats have to win."