Romney signs, meanwhile, frequently dot the landscape.

In his two Republican caucus campaigns, Romney concentrated much of his efforts on these eastern counties, where pocketbook concerns often outweigh social issues.

The battle for those votes will come into full view on Saturday, when both Romney and Obama are set to campaign in Dubuque, a predominantly Catholic city perched on the banks of the Mississippi where an old reliance on manufacturing has given way to thriving health care and financial services sectors.

Obama clobbered McCain in Dubuque County in 2008, but like everywhere else in Iowa, the path to victory next Tuesday will be much narrower.