Politicians who appease these irrational psychogenic illnesses that sweep a population instead of saying "you're all idiots" are awful people. An abrogation of their leadership.

Ask yourself: for politicians who know they are on their way out, what prevents them from selling out what power they have? I doubt any have a sufficiently inflated sense of self, and most likely know how to do so nowadays without getting caught.

Sure, we want to elect good people. But relying on their goodness invites moral hazards like this. Everything that makes them an effective politician also makes them an effective criminal, so the question is hardly academic.

I know the point of representative democracy.

I am saying that your suggested course of action might be morally superior, but it's hard to get (re-) elected with it.

So there's a selection bias amongst the politicians you see in power.

Agreed that it's in their self-interest to participate in the mass hysteria, but I believe my point still stands that it's an abrogation of leadership.

There's probably plenty of people who would be happy to be elected leaders but who don't compromise their morals like this. You just never see them elected.