--Claire Brinberg, 360 Producer a.k.a. "360 Caucus Queen"Well I'll tell you this much: New Year's Eve in Des Moines lived up to all its promise, but New Year's Morning in Des Moines is pretty damn miserable. It's extremely cold, and I'm a little tired and a lot grumpy.
The hearty young Iowans I'm traveling with, however, are bright-eyed, enthusiastic and not at all hung over. They're volunteers with Redeem the Vote, a group of evangelical Christians working to register new voters for the caucuses. We're trailing their fancy bus, as they journey from Des Moines to Council Bluffs (and beyond).
Evangelicals comprise about 40% of Republican caucus-goers, making them hugely powerful here. The three college students Redeeming the Vote today are a perfect snapshot of the debate within Iowa's Christian community.
Jason, who was home-schooled, is 100% behind faith-fueled Mike Huckabee. Brandy is torn: she was a Mitt Romney person, but might switch to Huckabee now that he's gained some momentum. And Emily is completely undecided. She tells me she'll figure it out by Tuesday night.
Candidates from both parties have launched an all out crusade to win souls like Emily, Brandy and John's. The effort in these final days is more intense than ever. But evangelical voters have been wavering and unpredictable this year. Politically speaking, the Iowa caucuses will be their ultimate "come to Jesus" moment.
