SALT LAKE CITY -- It's question that just keeps getting asked, over and over again. Set into print in Time Magazine in December, Romney's face was framed with the words:

"Why don't they like me?"

Romney has to be asking himself that question, in spite of his win in Maine's caucuses Saturday, because of mounting evidence Rick Santorum seems to be winning over the conservative voters Romney is also courting.

This is especially troubling for Romney in his home state Michigan where his father was Governor and where most political observers widely regarded him as a no-brainer favorite.

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But according to Public Policy Polling, Santorum is leading Romney by a whopping 15 percentage points two weeks from the Primary election.

If those numbers translate into voter behavior on election day February 28, that would be a huge upset in the Great Lake State.

PPP's polling shows Santorum at 39 percent. Romney has 24 percent support; 12 percent for Ron Paul and 11 percent for Newt Gingrich.

That's not the only evidence of Romney challenges with the GOP base. Pew research polled Republican-leaning voters Feb 8-12. 30 percent picked Santorum compared to 28 percent for Romney according to the organization's website.

It's probably no surprise that Romney isn't really reacting to those latest numbers. This week he campaigned in both Arizona and Michigan by casting his two main rivals, Santorum and Gingrich as "Washington Insiders" and he expressed typical confidence — even as he seemed to rush a couple campaign rallies along — as he continued his onslaught of President Obama's leadership.

But his ability to rise above it all may be one of the reasons he's having trouble closing the deal with some people. It was desirable when it came to rescuing the Salt Lake 2002 Winter Olympics. But his inability to connect, or for people to feel like they're connecting with him, may be like a tropical rain shower on a downhill ski run.

It may feel good, but it's out of place just the same.

The reality is that voters will rely on their gut instinct about a candidate in the private act of voting. That's part of the reason negative ads work.

Romney has a big challenge combating the impression that he's a flip-flopper. On abortion, immigration, taxes, gun control and global warming he's quoted as shifting with the political wind more than once. It's common on the campaign trail for people to say straight up that they want to feel like they know where their candidate is coming from, at least as much as possible.

So, in spite of Romney's polished image, his credentials in both business and politics, his beautiful wife and family his conservative credentials seem to be a sticking point for some people.

Jon Huntsman's departure from the Republican field is evidence the party is leaning much more to the right in 2012.

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In 2008, Romney was running as the conservative choice.

Sometimes that "gut feeling" trumps the bottom line comment we heard over and over again in Florida; that Romney was the "most Presidential" of the Republican competitors and that he was most likely to beat President Obama in the general election.

It's still easy to see that with Romney's overall delegate count so far, the amount of campaign cash, staff and clout he amassed, that Romney could very well be the nominee when South Carolina, Minnesota, Colorado, even Iowa and Missouri are just a memory.

But even the editors of Time Magazine may be thinking their January 10th follow up cover featuring the other half of Romney's face was premature when the issue came out with the cover:

"So you like me now?"

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