Why do some people think that politicians are "special"?

What is it about politicians that make some people think that they are special? In some cases, like the late Edward Kennedy, they have never had a job in their whole life. They have merely made a career of convincing the naive to vote for them. They have not done shit.
I have my particular gripes about politicians. They are generally amoral degenerates intoxicated by the prospect of power, prestige and and perks.
But the real problem is the people who believe that they can deliver salvation of some sort or another.
There are truly great people out there. Some are doctors, some are priests, some are your parents or aunts and uncles.
But they live their lives quietly under the radar.
Why do people think that self-absorbed reprobates like politicians are virtuous heroes?
How can anybody buy into such bullshit?