A major part of our problem is that our media "stars" (including "news anchors," commentators, etc.), like way to many of our elected officials, are way too wealthy to really relate to the issues that face the vast majority of Americans (not to mention the rest of the world).   People tend to dismiss academia as the "ivory tower," but I think our Senators, Presidents, Federal Judges, and many Congressional Representatives - plus the corporate lobbyists they hang out with - those are the ones really in an ivory tower. Way too many in the "news" business and politics view it all as some sort of sports contest, where what's important is the excitement and fun of the game and also the spoils that come with winning. They rarely seem to approach it as a difficult, serious job with people's lives and livelihoods depending on how it's done.