Big question, but at least some of the answer lies with the two parties/ideologies. The Democrats are all about politics - it is their religion. They rarely stop paying attention to what is happening in D.C. and at home. They are constantly trying to advance their causes, usually to the detriment of our freedoms. The Republicans, on the other hand, mostly want to be left alone and view government as a necessary evil. GOP voters are far more likely to lose track of what is happening in the political realm as they tend to get caught up in the minutiae of life, some of it meaningful, but much of it a waste of time. As long as things seem to be going well, the average GOP voter inevitably loses track of what the pols/bureaucrats in D.C. are doing. And of course, when one side keeps pushing while the other goes to sleep, you end up with the mess/corruption we have in D.C. That's my short take on this, at least, but obviously there is more to it than just this.
Great posts from both of you. Thank you for taking the time to answer my question. :-)