You're right, it certainly is garbage, but if you ease back from...

You're right, it certainly is garbage, but if you ease back from your partisan table you will see both sides of politics doing this ad nauseum. The reason they do it is because it resonates with the electorate. Obviously not with you, but with those people who can be swayed these minutiae garner political capital.

They only do it because we respond net positively to it. I can't blame our politicians for exploiting loopholes in the constituency's character. That's all on us.