Election campaigns these days are mainly targeted at marginal electorates, all of whose voters are considered as puerile, unintelligent, selfish conservatives who must be won over with masses of hand-outs and not mentally harassed by even a word of any substance. As for the rest of the electorate - all the safe seats: they can all go bugger off. When the rite of the election is complete and a victim has been immolated and a victor chosen, then whoever wins government can get back to the "real" job of governing, or further messing up, the country. I'm sure the reasons for it are manifold and varied - but one thing's for certain: Our representative democracy has become a total sham.
Marginal seats contain the swinging middle class voters who decide governments. Swinging voters must be won over through bribes and inducements. People vote according to their own self interests, not necessarily in the best interests of the nation.
Politicians target short term winning the election or re-election. Politicians rarely have a medium or long term plan, they often lack vision for the future. Politicians use short one line slogans to win undecided swinging voters. Politicians are as honourable as snake oil salesmen: election pledges can easily be broken. Election pledges/promises are not considered the gospel or scripted truth.
