back to the original topic...

Perhaps one reason people vote the way they do, or hold the views they do about candidates, is that the vast majority of Americnas get their information from the television. Ever since a sweaty Nixon in a grey suit squared off against a robust Kennedy in a black suit, this has been how we judged our candidates.
So a candidate who does not radiate the "right" kind of charm, charisma, authority, etc. is written off from the start. One ill-timed facial expression or malaproprism has doomed a presidential campaign in the past, sad but true.

It's also true that Americans do not seem to tolerate ethic-sounding names in white guys (let's face it, most presidential candidadtes are white) and they are also picky about looks, including clothing choices. I remember Paul Simon was not taken seriously because he wore bow ties. Paul Tsongas had a problem because no one could pronounce his name. Dukakis was short and had a "foreign" name...etc. etc. It's silly. But it's how a LOT of people decide who they're going to vote for.