NEW YORK, NY January 03, 2008 —Candidates from both parties have invested their time and money in Iowa - but to different extents.

From the group of leading contenders, only Rudy Giuliani decided to forgo the state altogether in the days leading up to today's caucus.

WNYC's Fred Mogul stopped by Giuliani headquarters in Des Moines to see how the former mayor's faithful followers were faring in his absence.

Giuliani is still the national front-runner, though his lead has steadily been sinking over the last few weeks.

In Iowa, Giuliani has never waged a serious fight - something reflected in the relatively small number of volunteers making last-minute calls at his headquarters.

Giuliani's Iowa field director, Jared Aggen, says the troops stay motivated by focusing on the big picture.

AGGEN: We're obviously running a different campaign. The mayor is campaigning more in Florida and California than other candidates.

After Iowa, Aggen isn't sure where he will deployed. It might be someplace warmer, like Florida or California, states where the Giuliani campaign is saying the real race begins. For WNYC, I'm Fred Mogul.