Maybe, but to be fair, he probably brought a little of it on himself. He didn't really come across as the intelligent guy he most certainly was. Perhaps some of that was not his fault.
In addition to his sterling character and bravery, he was a world class scholar, specializing in the stoic philosophers.
The writer of the business strategy book "Good To Great" gives a stirring account of Stockdale.
The reason he walked around the podium was that they gave the three candidates tall stools to sit on. His knee always gave him tremendous pain. He could not just sit and let it dangle.