Rick Santorum campaigns in Lee's Summit Friday nighti

LEE'S SUMMIT, Mo. - Republican presidential candidate RIck Santorum held a rally Friday night  in Lee's Summit.

It was at The Pavilion, a large building at 520 NW Murray Road that is part of John Knox Village.

More than 700 people showed up for Santorum’s speech. He talked for 52 minutes and said he wasn’t giving a “rah rah pep rally talk” because it was time to talk about serious things.

He asked the crowd if they were ready to concede to the government to control their lives and they shouted back “No!”

Robert Weeks of Lee’s Summit brought a homemade sign and got Santorum to autograph it. Weeks said he is supporting Santorum because he is the only true conservative running for the nomination.

The appearance came four days before Missourians vote in the state primary. But the GOP primary vote won't actually count towards awarding delegates at the Republican National Convention.

The party will hold caucuses on March 17 to determine the delegate count.

But since Newt Gingrich didn't get on the ballot, Missouri's primary election will give Santorum the chance to go head to head with current GOP frontrunner Mitt Romney.

In a campaign appearance Friday morning in Hannibal, Santorum told the Southeast Missourian, "When we go head to head with Governor Romney, we can beat him. When Speaker Gingrich goes head to head with Governor Romney, he can't. The polls show it and it will show on Tuesday," said Santorum. "If I'm out of the race, most of my votes go to Governor Romney. If he's (Gingrich) out of the race, most of his votes go to me,"

Besides Hannibal, Santorum also made stops Friday in Fulton and Columbia. He is the only candidate campaigning in Missouri since the primary vote in non-binding.

State law requires the primary, but Republican party leaders said it was too early in the campaign, and pledged to punish Missouri by stripping half its delegates if the state used the primary results.