… The way we measure our presidential candidates these days is a complicated formula. Mo Fiorina, a professor of political science at Stanford University and a senior fellow at the Hoover Institution, has researched the correlation between likeability and winning the White House.
He says the common cliche that the more likeable candidate always wins isn’t the case. “There’s very little historical evidence for it,” he says. After looking at research back to 1952 that evaluated how people evaluated candidates in personal terms, Fiorina says likeability “appeared to be a minor factor. The fact is we decide who is likeable after they win, not before they win.” [cont.]
NPR
Favorability ratings: