As a generality, no one trusts politicians. Yet, it is politicians whom we elect (those of us who vote) to determine the course of our society despite this mistrust. It was famous former Los Angeles District Attorney, Vincent Bugliosi, who mentioned that people mistrust lawyers and people mistrust politicians, yet judges are both: elected lawyers. Somehow, according to Bugliosi, judges still possess a certain "power" to command authority, even purity, due to their "lofty" position. Yet, Bugliosi says, he's seen a fair number of judges who were corrupt, confused or just plain incompetent.
To challenge the power of our elected officials is not easy. Not only must one spend the time and effort to present a case, one must take on the "guilt" that goes along with challenging someone who is supposed to have our best interest at heart. An extreme example would be calling someone unpatriotic who doesn't support President Bush's foreign policy with starry-eyed faith. Such lack of support can invoke a slight guilt in the accuser because we all want the president to succeed, regardless of our party affiliation.