Poverty and unemployment go hand in hand. It also makes the vote for some pretty difficult when one person promises jobs but also cutting assistance vs another promising jobs and assistance. Not making a judgment, just sayin...
If you want to beat a personality, then you better run a candidate who has one to match. Christie, for example, or Rubio. If one keeps running older, bland, white guys up the pole, one should expect to get their bell rung. Again.