In Iowa, so many candidates; so hard to decide

BURLINGTON, Iowa (Reuters)- Kim Capdevila just can't decide.

The 44-year-old Burlington, Iowa, woman has heard the speeches, read the pamphlets, and absorbed months of television and radio ads from the slew of presidential candidates seeking support ahead of the January 3 Iowa caucuses.

But with only days left to determine who deserves their votes, Capdevila and her husband Carlos are among thousands of Iowans who are still wavering.

"I'm not clear," said Capdevila, who has been favoring Democrat John Edwards but planned to study Illinois Sen. Barack Obama's policies over the weekend to see if he might be a better choice.

Iowa's caucuses next Thursday are the first of the series of state-by-state primaries and caucuses that determine the nominees for the 2008 presidential elections in November. A win can provide crucial momentum for a candidate.

Polling data as well as anecdotal evidence from campaign events around the state indicate that amid tightly contested races among Democrats and Republicans, no candidate has closed the deal with Iowans.

Several polls in recent days have shown as many as 10 percent of would-be caucus-goers are still undecided.

Sharon Dumfee, 51, an administrator at a local community college in Osecola in southern Iowa, said she was still having trouble deciding. But she knows she wants someone she considers socially conservative. She likes Republican Fred Thompson's "morals" and former rival Republican Mike Huckabee's support for small businesses.

"The negative ads turned me totally off Romney," she said. "So it's between Huckabee and Thompson."

Some fear their first choice isn't really electable, such as voters who say they like Republican Ron Paul, but see him as a "dark horse."

Other just have a hard time trusting what they hear.

"They all come up with promises. You've got to cut through the promises to find out what they're actually going to get done," said 76-year-old Gordon Greene from Le Mars, who knows he will caucus as a Republican but doesn't know who for.

Others complain campaign rhetoric leaves out details about issues close to their hearts. Carlos and Kim Capdevila, who both moved here legally years ago from Argentina, want someone to offer a firm plan to crack down on illegal immigration.

"Everyone is afraid to talk about it," said Kim Capdevila.

And some are looking to loved ones for advice. "I've got it down between Clinton and Obama," said 62-year-old Pat Eaves of Weber. "My kids will probably influence me."

With the caucus only five days away, all the candidates are working overtime to try to seal the deal with Iowans.

Obama, whom polls show locked in a near tie with rival Democrats Hillary Clinton and Edwards, has made a point to single out undecided voters at campaign events in recent days, asking them to raise their hands if they haven't made up their minds.

"We've got our sights set on you," he says. 'We're going after you."

(Additional reporting by Ed Stoddard and Andy Sullivan; editing by Stuart Grudgings)