Politics in general have always been dirty, hard to grasp, and corrupt, but lately it has been irrational, based on the current low information electorate who, although bombarded with more information than ever, is more easily swayed or bullied into submission to a predetermined result.
People still vote based on their own preconceived notions, interests, candidate personal charisma, their philosophy, and misinformation from the MSM they accept as absolute truth, without bothering to check on their own, either because they are either too busy or too lazy. Electioneering by volunteers or by paid individuals further muddies the waters. People know that politics make strange bedfellows.
Some individuals promise their votes for empty promises, a drink, a chicken in every pot, a cheap cell phone, walking around cash, higher salaries, government contracts, or a sought-after position – it depends how high the voting stakes are.