It's quite possible
the "real Mitt" is a much more likeable guy than the cartoon robot oligarch who ran in 2012. It's also somewhat possible if we all had a chance to get to know this "real Mitt" that he would have gotten a few more votes in 2012. I don't think the theater criticism version of political coverage is meaningless. Low information voters - and, really, we're all low information voters - are going to make judgments based on trying to infer what they can about the person behind the curtain. But the idea that the Mittster would have triumphed if we'd all just really gotten to know him is absurd, even if he really is super awesome at heart.
