Why is a politician’s character even more important than their professed ideology?

Because when you put somebody into a powerful job that they essentially can’t get fired from for many years, their character is the only thing will lead them to possibly do the right thing.

What can happen when you give somebody who has no real desire to help or serve others long-term job security and prestige?

They might just completely check out on you, going through the motions but not really trying or bothering to even look like they’re trying.

If you take such a person who has no real desire to do the job and who views their current job as little more than a stepping stone to trying to get an even better job and then tell them that they can’t be fired for four or six years unless they do something unthinkable ...

you might end up with somebody who is perfectly content to cash the paychecks, enjoy the prestige of the position but not even try to do the job they were elected to do. And, from the perspective of a person with no character, why not? Why would they care? Why would they work?