Ideology isn't the issue. We vote on individuals who encompass a variety of causes, rather than on the individual causes themselves. So we'll vote because candi

Ideology isn't the issue. We vote on individuals who encompass a variety of causes, rather than on the individual causes themselves. So we'll vote because candidate A is in favor of lax gun control, or candidate B is in favor of more readily available abortions, or whatever other hot button issue is most important to us, or who encompasses a selection of important issues better than 'the other guy'; to very few of us does "has a sane position on how to regulate the telecom industry" overrule that. So every candidate is faced with "I can accept these huge campaign contributions from telecom companies, and not hurt my chances at winning, or I can decline them to take a stand against the telecoms...and do nothing to help my chances at winning". Of course they take the money, of course they vote to keep the money flowing to them.