A Country of Mediocrity

I love this country but have taken a long time to allow myself to come to the conclusion that this is a country of mediocrity. The informed citizenry exists only on a small scale. Rather than truly delving into the back story of political candidates and recognizing the smoke-and-mirrors trickery raining down upon them, numerous citizens either don't vote, vote based on liking names or the person with the most and largest political signs, or vote with the most superficial information tossed at them by the faux news channels. Why do so many persist on voting against their own good or that of the greater good? Why do they allow manufactured fear to guide them?