User blog comment:Samium/Nico Robin, human in a world of characters (Essay)/@comment-24850639-20170106195852/@comment-24769684-20170106215722

But you don't need intelligence to actually be a force for good or someone to look up to. You could be intelligent but lack the emotional maturity necessary to actually connect with people. Luffy doesn't need brains to show people that they can count on him if they're in trouble, and while he may not be book smart, he is an extremely good judge of character.

The smartest people are never elected into political office, because the people don't want someone smart, they want someone who they feel empathizes with them and who they feel they can connect with. Now, this doesn't usually work in the real world because this is more often than not an act. However, Luffy's simplicity counteracts that because you know that he is always telling the truth (and in the rare instances he lies, it's incredible obvious). The real-life leaders who actually DID make good on their empathy towards their consituents have typically been remembered in a very positive light.

Intelligence is not the sole sign of a strong character in a field such as this.