DES MOINES - Former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush is in Iowa trying to muster support.

He was among 10 presidential candidates to appear today at the Iowa Republican Party's Growth and Opportunity forum, a tailgate-themed festival at the Iowa State Fairgrounds in Des Moines, and the last multicandidate event before the caucuses.

Bush, who was seen as a potential front-runner based on his early fundraising success, has failed to catch fire since this summer and his debate performance on Wednesday was less than stellar.

Bush acknowledged today that he needs to improve debating. As he put it, "I'm going to get better. I have enough self-awareness to know that."

During the debate, he chided Sen. Marco Rubio for missing Senate votes while campaigning for the White House and today, again mentioned Rubio's Senate attendance. Referring to Iowa's senior senator, Bush said "If you're elected to serve, you should do what Chuck Grassley does: You should show up to vote."