Romney does not support abortion rights and, although the Massachusetts state courts have ruled in favor gay marriage, he is opposed.

But the war seems to be an overriding issue this time.

"While abortion is still a passionate issue with conservatives, it's not Roe v Wade people are talking about, it's the war," he said.

Romney spokeswoman Sarah Pompei said her candidate is stressing his credentials as an executive who turned around a troubled Olympics and erased a large state budget gap in Massachusetts.

Throwing another wrinkle in conventional campaigning, Sundheim is pushing for decline-to-state voters to participate in the GOP primary, something Democrats already allow.

Sundheim, a moderate Republican, said he worries that as the number of decline-to-state voters grow, Republicans are losing a chance to get independent voters behind their candidates in the primary and they may not support the GOP primary winner come November.

In Santa Clara County, 164,300 voters, or 24 percent, are registered decline-to-state. Only Mono and San Francisco counties have a higher percentage in the state.

Critics fear independent-thinking voters may go for moderate Republicans and believe only those registered with the GOP should pick the Republican nominee.

Tim Morgan, party activist who says he is neutral, predicts the conservative-leaning GOP apparatus won't go for it.

However, the new way GOP delegates are selected could have a large impact on where candidates campaign. The new system, in which each congressional district awards three delegates, was designed to give Republicans a reason to campaign around a state in which Democrats far outnumber Republicans. Bucking conventional wisdom, a moderate GOP candidate now may target campaigns to Democratic-heavy regions.

"You've got to look at California now as 53 mini-states, one for each congresssional district," said Keen Butcher, chairman of the Santa Clara County Republican Party.

And Butcher hopes that will buck another tradition: "If you are running for president, you won't just view Silicon Valley as an ATM now, it's a place also to vie for votes."