GOP Race Fluid in State-By-State View

Republican presidential hopeful former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani speaks to the press before heading into a private dinner in Seattle on Friday, June 15, 2007. (AP Photo/Kevin P. Casey) (Kevin P. Casey - AP)

WASHINGTON -- Rudy Giuliani, John McCain and Mitt Romney dominate the 10-man field for the Republican presidential nomination, with Fred Thompson threatening to roil an unsettled race.

Rare circumstances serve as the backdrop.

The sitting Republican president and party standard-bearer, George W. Bush, has abysmal job-performance ratings. Vice President Dick Cheney doesn't want the job and there's no natural heir, a significant departure for a party that historically has nominated the next in line.

The result is one of the most fluid GOP races in half a century.

Giuliani, a former New York mayor; McCain, an Arizona senator; and Romney, an ex-governor of Massachusetts, are the strongest contenders. They lead the field in organization, endorsements and money.

But Thompson, the former Tennessee senator and "Law & Order" actor, casts an enormous shadow and placed a close third behind Giuliani and McCain in a recent Associated Press-Ipsos poll. All but certain to enter the race, he's become a favorite of conservatives who are underwhelmed with the current field.

Underdog candidates _ former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee, Kansas Sen. Sam Brownback and five other long-shots _ are looking to catch fire in certain states.

The Iraq war, immigration, terrorism and abortion are the hottest issues.

To win, a candidate must collect a majority of delegates _ 1,255 to be exact. That number, like the date of each state's contest and the delegate allotments, is in flux. Voting begins in January. Here's an early look at the race:

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IOWA _ Jan. 14 (32 delegates)

Romney has emerged as the one to beat, and his strategy calls for winning the caucuses to ride a momentum wave to New Hampshire. Unknown here before 2007, he's spent $1 million in TV ads and direct mail to introduce himself, visited 11 times and hired veteran operatives. McCain is vigorously campaigning here after skipping Iowa in 2000 and has built an organization that rivals Romney's. The 70-year-old senator is trying to overcome his unpopular support for immigration legislation, the perception that he is yesterday's candidate and doubts that he'll be a loyal Republican. Giuliani has sent mixed signals about how hard he plans to compete here. His support for abortion rights and gay rights alienates some conservatives. Both Giuliani and McCain bowed out of a high-profile straw poll in August. Thompson could find success in Iowa. Lesser-knowns pinning their hopes on the state haven't broken through. Brownback may have the best chance and is courting the religious right.