Surely it can't be because people have listened to what the man has actually said. Or are judging him by his actions. All that is unknowable if you only pay attention to the mass medias manufactured narrative.

To be clear these sort of positions of power shouldn't exist in the first place, and no human being is fit for them. The reason people like plattner isn't psychology reverse or otherwise. It's honesty and a willingness to be genuine and engage with people. Something pretty much all politicians are failing at these days.