1 5 % ▁behind ▁Paul ▁at ▁ 2 2 % ▁and ▁Rom ney ▁at ▁ 2 4 %. ▁ ▁Une x pected ▁performance ▁by ▁Sant orum ▁ ▁Sant orum ▁spent ▁months ▁in ▁Iowa , ▁travel ing ▁to ▁all ▁ 9 9 ▁count ies ▁and ▁holding ▁some ▁ 3 8 1 ▁town ▁hall ▁meet ings ▁over ▁the ▁course ▁of ▁the ▁campaign . ▁However , ▁for ▁months ▁Sant orum ▁lag ged ▁in ▁the ▁pol ls ▁and ▁had ▁difficulty ▁raising ▁money , ▁travel ing ▁around ▁the ▁state ▁in ▁a ▁pick up ▁tr uck ▁instead ▁of ▁bus es ▁and ▁car av ans ▁used ▁by ▁other ▁candidates . ▁He ▁lag ged ▁in ▁the ▁so - called ▁second ▁tier ▁of ▁candidates , ▁pol ling ▁in ▁the ▁single ▁digits ▁in ▁Iowa ▁as ▁late ▁as ▁December ▁ 1 8 . ▁However , ▁his ▁sur ge ▁began ▁around ▁that ▁time , ▁as ▁numerous ▁pol ls ▁put ▁him ▁in ▁the ▁top ▁three ▁along ▁with ▁Rom ney ▁and ▁Paul . ▁ ▁According ▁to ▁the ▁Los ▁Angeles ▁Times , ▁" S ant orum ▁caught ▁fire ▁at ▁just ▁the ▁right ▁time ▁as ▁social ▁conserv atives ▁in ▁the ▁state ▁and ▁other ▁und ec ided ▁vot ers ▁appeared ▁to ▁grav itate ▁his ▁way ▁in ▁large ▁numbers ▁at ▁the ▁exp ense ▁of ▁candidates " ▁such ▁as ▁G ing rich , ▁Perry , ▁and ▁Bach mann . ▁ ▁Date ▁of ▁c auc uses ▁The ▁ 2 0 1 2 ▁Iowa ▁Republican ▁c auc uses ▁were ▁originally ▁scheduled ▁to ▁begin ▁on ▁February ▁ 6 , ▁ 2 0 1 2 ,