[dchyrdvh]

I'm sorry to be dense, but that's a naive view, that an otherwise sleazy sociopath can be forced to behave by public opinion.

Good people give food to homeless because they see value in doing so, not because they fear repercussions from public opinion.

[jrochkind1]

I think it's basically the theory of democratic elections though.

That someone has to present themselves as a non-sleazy person with non-sleazy plans to get elected, and if they do something different once elected or otherwise do something the voters recognize as super sleazy, they won't get re-elected. So a person in an elected position is responsive to public opinion, or does not remain elected.

Whether it's working out so well for us in the USA, I dunno.