The shortage of candidates for all offices is mind numbing. I remember a time not too long ago when at least our president deserved a little respect. I'm not saying we shouldn't scrutinize our politicians to the best of our ability. We're not going to agree with much of what they do or say. Everyone has issues that are dear to them but that does not make them unamerican. Our 2 party system starts us off disagreeing 50% of the time on principle, discounting when we used to have obvious bipartisan issues. Since thinking voters will not agree with their own party all of the time the percentage of agreement will be even less. We didn't consider ourselves disaffected but part of a healthy democracy.
To resort to fabricating stories in print or doctoring photos was a career ending move for journalists. Now it's a free-for-all of paid political hacks creating disinformation. Think tanks come up with tag lines and talking point designed to divide and conquer. Social media has us at friends and families throats due to reposts of objectionable material that has no bearing on the issues. It's insulting to the mind and feelings until we unfollow or unfriend those closest to us.
It starts at the local level with personal attacks and intrusions on private time by town folks at your kids baseball games or at dinner. Go for county or state government and your motives come into question, you're being sued by your constituents and financing is everything. At the national level you're a corporation my friend. Your background is fair game and so is your family. Your own personal safety becomes an issue so much more so now that the populace is being played by those who gain by keeping us divided.
The only rationale these days to run for national office is greed and power. Our benefit is secondary to those interests. A salary of $175,000 - $244,000 and benefits is really chump change for the responsibilities involved in being one of the 546 major governing officials (535 congressmen, 9 supreme court justices, vice president, plus the president who now makes $400,000). It's easy to see where corruption enters the picture. The question is how we make governing an honorable profession again and I don't have an answer to that.