2008. this year he is neck and neck with santorum in recent polls, analysts say the state's republicans have become more conservative in the past four years. and one local newspaper describes tonight caucuses as impossible to call. mike tobin is in blaine, minnesota tonight. rick santorum getting a lot of attention there, right? >> and, shepard, rick santorum became the latest target of a glitter attack right as he was walking up to the podium. the attacker says it's because he believes rick santorum hates gays. rick santorum says he doesn't care is he much more interested in the attacks he has taken from the romney camp. >> i find that sort of amusing that any time someone challenges governor romney they bring out the big guns to try to hammer away and, you know, they are pecking on me on earmarks. governor romney supported the biggest earmark in the history of the country called the wall street bailouts. >> just a small bit of polling