Spotted here:
The Founding Fathers, in establishing the American government, relied on an engaged public to choose virtuous leaders, leaders who would act in the nation's best interest
Er, no.
Had they counted on virtuous leaders, they would not have built in the structural safeguards of limited and enumerated powers, separation of powers, and so on.
The degradation of those structures over the past century has enabled large-scale corruption, and led to the perceived need for virtuous politicians (and, thence, to the pretense that virtuous politicians exist).
Afterthought: To the list of structural safeguards, add trial by jury... another one that's largely fallen by the wayside.
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