Human Nature

So I read a lot of websites and I usually read the comments because occasionally I find good information there.  (Though mostly it is garbage.)

What is interesting to me (at least today) is that it seems like everyone is 'smart'.  (There is a long conversation coming up about 'smart' and whether the word every means something.)  So I read a lot about economics, I know surprise.  It seems like every article out there is about how the debt is too big, how no one wants socialized health care (including liberal sites I may add).  Additionally all of the comments are usually in line with my thinking.  So the question is this: If everyone thinks some thing is wrong then why are we still on this track?  (This extends beyond health care and the debt to the complicated tax system, wars, etc.)  Who are these people.  So I have two theories:

1. The average person on the internet is very homogeneous.  Especially when it comes to commenting and posting on websites.  This kind of makes sense as the average person who uses the internet for more than just virtual farming (which I do too) has more money (thus would be more worried about these things), has more education (there is a known correlation with wealth and internet usage), and/or younger Americans (which are more homogeneous in that we have a lot of the same thoughts and fears.
2. The other possibility is that I am just crazy and everyone doesn't agree with me.  While I agree this is true the extent seems very muted in general.

So basically my question is this:  Has anyone else noticed this affect and how can the country be on the wrong track and everyone knows it.  Doesn't a democracy preclude that from happening?  Or are all the people who care just uninterested in politics?  Your thoughts?