There’s a flurry of activity in the closing hours as the 2010 campaign culminates with tomorrow’s voting.

Terry Branstad, the Republican candidate for governor, is flying around to seven cities today to deliver his closing message, which is focused on the economy. “The question is: Do you like the status quo or do you think we can do better?” Branstad said this morning in Ames. “And I believe that Iowans want us to do better. We’re not satisified with the highest unemployment in 24 years.”

Chet Culver, the Democrat who’s seeking a second term as governor, this morning set out on a train tour through 20 cities in the eastern half of Iowa, with nine “whistle stops” along the way. On Sunday morning, During the closing days of the campaign, Culver has been ridiculing his competitor’s travel schedule.

“We’re doing nearly three times as much work here in the closing days as Branstad and Reynolds,” Culver told a crowd in Mason City on Sunday. “I think that means we want it three times more than they do.”

This morning in Ames, a reporter asked Branstad about Culver’s charge.

“Ha, ha, ha,” Branstad said, slapping his hand on the lectern. “That is the funniest thing I’ve ever heard. Now, let me tell you what he’s counting. He’s going to go through on a train and he’s counting that a stop. He’s going back to the 19th Century way of campaigning. Talk about going back in time. That is a real joke.”

Culver, who is 44 years old, joked about his 63-year-old competitor’s campaign schedule on Sunday.

“They’re doing this grueling 36-city stop tour over six days. I hope they make it. Hope Terry doesn’t need a rest, you know,” Culver said, laughing. “We’re doing 86 stops (in) 10 days. This is a vigorous campaign. This is a new day, a new century and we’re moving forward.”

Culver has already voted. Branstad plans to cast his ballot at 7:30 tomorrow morning at his precinct polling place in Ogden.

Listen to sound of Culver’s train here: train :18 MP3