Rule by fools

Bryan Caplan, Associate Professor of Economics at George Mason University, reckons Rule By Fools Is the Rule,

"democratic rule by fools is perfectly normal. Or to be more accurate, in a democracy our rulers are older versions of the popular kids from high school. The only difference is that politicians are champions in the Olympics of popularity contests. They are painfully weak on substance, but have an amazing ability to make people like them. And if they have to choose between being right and being popular, they don't think twice. They're Olympians; their overriding priority is winning...

We're ruled by fools election after election because the majority habitually prefers affable fools to disagreeable pedants."

Wonderful!