If there is any truth in political advertising, Iowans might get whiplash trying to find it.
The succession of television ads, alternatively building up candidates only to be followed by others tearing them down, is relentless in the final sprint before Tuesday's Iowa Republican caucuses.
In one commercial break during a local morning show here on Monday, viewers were treated a pro-Michele Bachmann spot comparing her to scripture-citing Denver Broncos quarterback Tom Tebow – ridiculed for religiosity only to prevail in the end.
Next came an ad for libertarian Ron Paul, calling the Texas congressman "consistent, incorruptible" and guided "by faith and principle."
Unfortunately for him, the ad was immediately followed by one that labels Mr. Paul a "radical who would destroy traditional marriage in America." It was sponsored by the National Organization for Marriage, which opposes same-sex marriage.
Next up was a Rick Perry ad accusing Mitt Romney of running as a "pro-abortion" candidate in the past and attacking Newt Gingrich for ethics violations, taking money from Freddie Mac and teaming up with Nancy Pelosi on global warming. Mr. Perry, the ad concludes, is the only "proven conservative" of the bunch.
After that, a commercial sponsored by a so-called super political action committee that supports Mitt Romney contains a debate clip in which Mr. Gingrich is caught declaring: "I made a big mistake." It is supposed to highlight the ex-speaker's inconsistency.
Finally, an ad featuring the head of Iowa's Family Leader, an influential social conservative lobby in the state, touts the values of ex-Pennsylvania senator Rick Santorum – the only candidate to experience a surge in the polls in the past week.
Whether the ads shape, reinforce or debunk voter impressions of the candidates, taken together, they make all of them look highly imperfect.
And no candidate's "imperfections" have been as assiduously emphasized as those of Mr. Gingrich. According to estimates, about 45 per cent of all Iowa political ads in December were attack ads directed at him.
How much damage did they do? Mr. Gingrich's has slipped to fourth or fifth place in the polls, after topping surveys barely a month ago.
A deeper look at what Iowa voters think of the former House of Representatives Speaker is contained in the final pre-caucuses Des Moines Register poll, released Sunday.
Fully 41 per cent of likely GOP caucus goers think Mr. Gingrich is the "most ego-driven" of the candidates; 36 per cent say he is the "least consistent" candidate; 31 per cent think he is the "least likely to reduce spending on war and foreign aid" and 32 per cent say he is the "least dedicated to limiting the influence of government."
No other candidate performs nearly as poorly on those criteria.
In contrast, Mr. Paul is considered the least ego-driven, the most consistent and the most likely to slash government spending in all spheres. But his problem is that he is also considered the least electable in national election.
That, however, is the only area in which Mr. Romney wins hands down. Fully 48 per cent of likely GOP caucus goers think he is the most electable candidate in a general election against President Barack Obama.
Konrad Yakabuski