Spotlight: U.S. presidential candidates make last-minute appeal to Iowa caucuses

U.S. Democratic and Republican presidential hopefuls made their last-minute push to Iowa voters in what could be a tight race in Monday night's caucuses.

Calling herself a uniter that could work with hostile Republicans in the Congress, Democratic presidential front-runner Hillary Clinton said on Monday in an interview that her past bipartisan efforts in the Senate made her more qualified to lead the country.

"I know how you get things done. I am a progressive who wants to make progress and actually produce real results in people's lives. That's what I'm offering," said Clinton on the U.S. TV network CNN.

Taking an implicit shot at her major rival Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders, whose free college program together with universal health care plans had drawn criticism even from some Democrats, Clinton said what she offered to the country was not "over-promising."

"I'm laying out the plans that I have. I'm asking people to look at them and I'm asking people to hold me accountable, because I want to get back to working together, to try to unite this country."

For some Democratic voters in this election cycle, the choice between Clinton and Sanders had boiled down more to the question that which candidate was more electable than the question that with whom they agree more.

"He (Sanders) is speaking more from an emotional and passionate point of view as opposed to common sense and a political point of view," said Wade Wagner, supporter of Clinton and a member of the city council in Cedar Rapids, Iowa.

"He (Sanders) will be in a tougher position to negotiate (with Republicans)," Wagner told Xinhua. "Hillary could probably do a better job based on her experience and ... through her work at the State Department and as U.S. senator."

However, for others, even Clinton, who had been calling herself a progressive that could make progress since early days of her candidacy, would not be able to break the partisan gridlock.

"Republicans hate Clinton, so I'm pretty sure the dysfunction (in Washington politics) will not go anywhere whoever wins the election," said Dan Ericson, a supporter of Sanders at a rally on Sunday.

"So let's focus on choosing a candidate that really represents people, not the Wall Street or big corporations," he said.

On the still crowded Republican side, billionaire developer Donald Trump made the last-minute plea just hours before Monday night's caucuses to his supporters to turn out, as various polls had suggested that he was mainly popular among Republicans who had never voted before.

"They all say that the more people that come out, the better we are going to do," said Trump at a rally on Monday in a tone that signaled a departure from his usual bluster.

"We are leading in all the polls. We are leading Iowa, but it doesn't mean anything. You have to go out tonight and caucus," said the New York real estate mogul.

Meanwhile, Senator Ted Cruz, who was ranked second in the latest Des Moines Register poll, completed his tour of Iowa's 99 counties on Monday hours before the Iowa caucuses start at 7:00 p.m. local time.

Other Republican candidates also arranged a series of appearances on Monday. Several poll results had earlier on indicated that about one third of Republican caucusgoers had yet to make up their minds, making the race a wide-open contest. Endit