Because the vote was so splintered

With more than 96% of returns in, Mr. Santorum, a former U.S. senator from Pennsylvania, and Mr. Romney, the former Massachusetts governor, were separated by only a few dozen votes—each with about a quarter of the total. Texas Rep. Ron Paul of Texas trailed slightly in third place.Cheap burberry - designer bags, shoes, accessories, clothing outlet 2012. The returns illustrate divisions in the Republican Party among three factions: Social conservatives backing Mr. Santorum, a more centrist group backing Mr. Romney, and an unusual coalition of young people, anti-war advocates and limited-government advocates backing Mr. Paul, a libertarian icon. Because the vote was so splintered, the eventual winning margin is likely to rival historic lows. When former Sen. Bob Dole won Iowa in 1996, his 26% showing was the lowest winning percentage in caucus history. Turnout, meanwhile, was similar to four years ago, defying expectations that Iowa Republicans would turn out in huge numbers. The results allow each of the candidates to claim victory as the race moves to New Hampshire, and beyond. Of the three, Mr. Romney has the largest campaign staff and donor network, and he carries a large lead in public opinion surveys of next Tuesday's primary in New Hampshire. But his showing also illustrates the challenges he faces stirring excitement among a large spectrum of conservatives. Other candidates who were once strong in the state—former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, Texas Gov. Rick Perry and Minnesota Rep. Michele Bachmann—came in far behind the top performers. The outcome for Mr. Gingrich, who came in a distant fourth with 13% of the vote, marked a steep fall for a candidate who led the pack just weeks ago and still leads in polls in South Carolina and Florida. In remarks to supporters, a defiant Mr. Gingrich said he would stay in to fight. "There will be a great debate in the Republican Party before we are ready to have a great debate with Barack Obama," he said. He also promised to take the fight more directly to Mr. Romney, whose supporters angered Mr. Gingrich by airing a late barrage of attack ads. He said he wouldn't counter with negative ads of his own, but said he did "reserve the right to tell the truth of www.cheapburberryoutlet2012.com." Meantime, Mr. Perry said he would return to Texas to "determine whether there is a path forward" for his campaign. The vote capped a tumultuous campaign that saw no fewer than five front-runners in Iowa since May, and three in just the last month, underscoring Republican uncertainty over which candidate is best suited to go up against President Barack Obama in the fall.