Women like to be courted. Women prefer someone who looks like a Man, not a Boy. Romney has been courting the country (and therefore women) for years. Santorum is new to the party. Most people have never heard of Santorum. Romney is familiar, he's more mature-looking (think Father figure), and probably a lot of women think he's an attractive man. (My female friends don't think so, but they say he's got that standard look that lots of women think is attractive. So does Perry, and by the way, that's why Perry has some over-the-top fans on FR -- they are women who get giddy when they look at Perry.)
It's not "over-the-top" to promote your candidate with positive facts about his qualifications and accomplishments. As a Perry supporter, I can tell you that Perry has loyal support that IS a mile deep! I have not flitted from the latest flavor-of-the-week candidate to the next one. I have not wavered in my conviction that Perry is the BEST guy for the job!
Look at the qualifications of each candidate side-by-side, and put away your perceptions that have been shaped by the media - look at Perry's actual record. He did great in this debate - the few times he was asked a question. The media won't even mention Perry's name. PERRY is the one that all of them don't want anywhere NEAR Washington DC. If he makes it there, their cushy gig's days are numbered.
Give me a break. We're not idiots capable of only thinking with our reproductive organs. We see the facts just like men do, only we tend to be less crazy.