I have been reading all the comments in the NZ PM and my view on why she is being seen so positively is a different one. I agree that largely many leaders would have reacted in the way she has but she has one advantage over them which is that she comes across as authentic,. She looks like she actually believes what she says and she looks and acts like an empathetic person would act in these circumstances not just as a political leader.
Now I have no way or knowing if this impression about her is true but I do know people see it as true and that’s the power of what she is doing. She is being human and is being seen as human. People are relating to her, they are believing her.
If I saw the same thing from Scott Morrison I wouldn’t believe it deep down and neither would many people, even more so
with Trump.