Candidate "Persona"

[yellowwoodII]

What I'm noticing is that voters are responding more to a candidate's "persona" than what he/she says or what he/she stands for.
Does he/she appear "Presidential." And how do we define that?
What do you think?

[zackymilly]

1. I think some are responding to a candidate's money. n/t

[sarge43]

2. I'd say character rather than "persona".

What is the candidate's fundamental moral/ethical foundation? How does s/he behave toward others, from their family to the store clerk? How does s/he deal with personal failure? Does s/he ignore or excuse it or deal positively with the consequences? How does s/he use any power they've been given? Is s/he careful with it or do they use like a club?

In short, do they give a damn about anything or anyone besides themselves?

[Merlot]

3. It's very frustrating to hear people say they don't like a candidate

based on their personality, voice, or some other vague reference on their personality (electability) and yet know next to nothing about what the candidate stands for.

I sometimes vote for candidates I don't like, because I agree with their policies. The republicans turned elections into a popularity contest (who would you rather have a beer with?) instead of a referendum on policy because republicans know that their policies are unpopular.