Victims, by their nature, have an undercurrent of anger. Whatever the issue raised, Obama will confirm the presence of a group who has been unjustly victimized, and express their anger for them, in the process levelling blame against the rich, the republicans, Romney, the "millionaires and billionaires," whoever. The whiners will perceive this as empathy and "knowing how we feel."
Obama can appear to be "one of us" if he can direct the anger toward a useful target, like Romney. It is not different from what Hitler did in the thirties, scapegoating his opponents as the source of the injustices felt by Germans in the aftermath of WWI.
Forget "likeability." Vindication of feelings and grievances will trump that every time.
And that always works with the media and their thoughtless consumers, doesn’t it?!