"Perceive" is the word that became in the '72 campaign what "charisma" was for the 1960, '64 and even the '68 campaigns. "Perceive" is the new key word. When you say perceive you imply the difference between what the candidate is and the way the public or the voters see him.
Fear and Loathing on the Campaign Trail '72 (ed. Simon and Schuster, 2012) - ISBN: 9781451691573