Having been born into a family of politicians (for the most part the good type..) and working in belly of the political beast at the local level all of my adult life, I will whole-heartedly agree. One theme in science fiction and other genres that has always unsettled me (even as a little kid) is a society being run by malevolent children. A look at candidates these days, at both the very local and national level, is more than a little shocking... That said, I must also admit that a few mature, intelligent, well-spoken people do throw their hat into the ring every now and then. That used to be the norm; now its a fluke.
Of course now getting into the arena involves giving up a successful career in the private sector, to subject you and your family to all kinds of abuse from those whose power is threatened by you running. Most just determine that it’s just not worth it.