But it’s what Romney is doing that’s not searchable in the Federal Election Commission database that has many Republican insiders convinced that he’s a lock to run again and the early candidate to beat.

While splitting his time between a new home near San Diego and a place on New Hampshire’s Lake Winnipesaukee, the former governor is also logging hours in three other places critical to a presidential run: Washington, New York and the campaign trail…

Romney has also retained the support of most of his top aides and advisers from his past campaign. He holds regular reunion gatherings with them and will invite his former team to his lake house next month for a summer cookout. Such consultants and operatives most likely will form the nucleus of a 2012 race, and no other potential candidate has such an infrastructure-in-waiting in place.

Romney’s major challenge is the same as it was for his last run: authenticity. Can he convey it in his politics and his persona?