"the average voters see the persona, and vote for the persona ... not the issues."

Wrong. The truth is not that simple.

Yes, you need to have a persona that is going to reach people. For all time, find a leader that did not have such a persona. But in the end, the voters DO vote on issues that effect them, and the person who can effectively deliver a message and convince will win.

Many people on this board have "bought" the persona of Dennis Kucinich. He is charsimatic and appeals to those looking for a certain niche. His message reaches them. There are plenty of people like Dennis Kucinich that offer the same messages and opportunity, yet they cannot get their message out.