DES MOINES -- Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney has fought for months to unite social conservatives behind his bid for the Republican presidential nomination.
But his weekend victory in an Iowa straw poll only underscored the fierce competition he still faces for conservatives who remain wary of the GOP's top White House contenders.
"Clearly, no one has consolidated the conservative vote," said Whit Ayres, a Republican strategist unaligned in the presidential race.
The mock election that Romney won at a state party fundraiser in Ames on Saturday was purely symbolic, and of questionable value as a gauge of Republican voters in Iowa.
Still, the popularity of two rivals seeking to corner the Christian right's support -- former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee and Sen. Sam Brownback of Kansas -- exposed the limits of Romney's appeal among conservatives. Combined, Huckabee and Brownback, who placed second and third, won more votes in the straw poll than Romney did.
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