Letters to the Editor
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Response
I think that most people know it is a game, few actully think that the candidate relates to them or will remember them in 5 minutes. It is what it is. Most of that is because the game is rigged so that only the richest can pull of a successful run.
I'm not sure that the candidates really know what it is like in some of these areas. They may get a primer (local food, team, beloved old man who won the Medal of Honor and now runs the rec center that keeps kids off the street), but remember that these people are constantly being shuffled around and operate on almost no sleep. I saw Kerry in 2004 refer to the Philadelphia Art Museum (where his biggest rally was) as "this great Library", and supposedly he ordered a cheese steak w Swiss (although that is likely made-up, as all Democrats get accused of doing that..going back to FDR). Similar gaffes abound on every campaign. It is tougher than you think.
Obviously higher stakes when they are President, but we cannot test that in any real way. The best we can do is observe the candidate and make sure they don't have "macaca moments".
What it does do is prove that the person can be fast on their feet and connect with people - if only in a superficial manner. In the scenarios you cite, the Pres would need to convince Israel that attacking Iran would be unwise. Prior experience is no indicator either - people like Herbert Hoover were very effective in some manner, but awful Presidents.
And does it not say something that our current President was a total coward who would never meet with anyone on the campaign trail who was not pre-screened as a total GOP loyalist? And go figure - now that he is in the Oval Office he is completely isolated from reality, surrounded only by "yes men".
But in the age of spin you are probably right that the bar is much lower and the risk minimized.