DAVISON, Michigan – Mitt Romney is the candidate from Michigan. But on Sunday night, Rick Santorum was the one making a personal connection here. And it wasn’t quite the one that I expected.

Santorum was speaking at a banquet hall, just a few miles east of Flint. About 300 people attended, filling the floor and a seating deck above. A pair of matching staircases led up to the deck, lending the hall the appearance of a church – which was altogether appropriate, given what was transpiring inside. Santorum was preaching to the faithful. And the faithful were responding.

When Santorum railed against “Obamacare” and the government “curbing your economic liberty, forcing you to do what you don’t want to do,” the crowd let out a hearty “boooooo.” When he attacked “Washington bureaucrats” and “academic elitists” for telling land-owners what’s good for the environment, somebody in the audience shouted out “socialism.” Other attacks on government power provoked spontaneous outbursts of “no thank you” and “we want freedom.”

I don't want to overstate things: I've seen larger and more enthusiastic crowds on many occasions. But Santorum clearly made an impression. I’ve attended maybe a half-dozen Romney events in Michigan, during this campaign cycle and the previous one. I don't recall him ever getting a response like this.

One reason is the obvious one: Santorum is simply better at communicating with average voters. He may not have an appreciation for Michigan’s lakes or know the size of its trees. His father may not have served as governor or run a car company. But his grandfather did work briefly for a Detroit automaker before moving to Pennsylvania, where he worked as a coal-miner. That allows Santorum to talk about his life in a way that typical voters can understand – and appreciate. When Santorum mentioned that his grandfather stayed on the job until he was 72, one audience member let out a very audible "whoa."