I was a 15 year old HS junior, in what might have been called Nixon land.
I cheered Kennedy's death announcement. We expect our political leaders to entertain us and to be like royalty.
Do you expect the builder of your home to entertain you? The repairman man of your vehicles?
Why political leaders? Because at the most basic level, humans must survive. In groups, they listen to the strong, charismatic, successful among them.
But bullshit doesn't last long. Battles must be won, and people must be fed.
In our modern lives of plenty, with the weakest surviving and voting, bad choices are not punished.
In a more ideal world, the weakest would die off.