Why do scumbags win elections?

Can someone tell me? As if Mugabe's manipulation of the vote wasn't enough, now we have Silvio Berlusconi at the helm in Italy again. I am quite sure some imperialist chickenhawks in America are relieved. First they get Germany from Merkel, then France from Sarkozy and now Italy back from Berlusconi. Goes to show that the corrupted surround themselves with other corrupt, pathetic people.

Silvio is seriously the worst European postwar politician ever. Italy's second fascist leader. His ties to far right groups both legal and illegal go way back. Accusations of Mafia connections are rampant. He's had more corruption and bribery cases than Britney Spears had husbands. And the worst is: his terrible sense of humor. Apparently this guy thinks it's funny to compare a German critic to a concentration camp guard. I can't really see what's the laugh. Is this Italian humor or universal bad taste?

Berlusconi escaped the biggest corruption scandal of Italy in the 90's in which politicians of all parties were purged by Italy's courts by just being more slippery than the rest of them. Since then he's had more than his share of corruption and fraud investigations. Yet he maintains his innocence. Only a fool would believe that. If you come home with a spat of mud on your shirt and insist you didn't play in the mud, that's believeable. If you come home day after day with mud all over you up to your hair, and insist you don't play in mud, you're unbeliefworthy. As a result of this, his governments have always been hostile to the justice system. Such as drafting up typical laws that enable immunity from prosecution for premiers and cabinet members during their time in office and after that. Laws like these are usually passed by rulers who have comitted crimes, have no respect for democracy, or know their cronies will remain in charge longer through these laws.
Although his hostility could also be a result of Mafia ties. The city of Napels has a notorious gangster problem which is hard to fight. Both for the police who are usually in a real warzone once the mobsters come crawling out of the woodworks. As well as for the judges who have to endure Berlusconi's ire and ridicule.

Other examples why Berlusconi is a waste of oxygen, nutrition and h2o include his outrageous claims. Like "[ideological opponents] eat babies!". He himself said communists, Hitler used to say Jews, and the Romans called them barbarians. Still not convinced this guy is a fascist? He certainly shares the fascists disrespect for democracy like saying that anyone who votes left is stupid. If Berlusconi's right is so diabolically smart, I prefer living in my ignorance. Still not sure he has fascist sympathies? Should I mention the xenophobes of his north Italian political allies? How about the "Mussolini didn't imprison dissidents. He just gave them a long vacation." remark? Is this another Italian joke, or just an endorsement of fascism?
Also don't forget his sexist, chauvinistic remarks on women either. Like every lustful male I don't shun sexist jokes. But there's a time and place for everything, and Silvio broke the unwritten rules of modern chauvinism many times over.

The good news is, this isn't much of a political victory. Italy's political system has been at an all-time low for quite some time and the people who still go out to vote either have no idea what to vote, or they have certain interests they want to guard through their vote. Just getting the majority of the votes doesn't mean anything in Italy anymore. The Greek word 'idiot' used to mean someone was apathetic towards politics. In modern Italy, the 'idiots' are the people who vote thinking it will make any difference, while the politically inclined know that the system is beyond redemption anyway and the most level-headed, trustworthy and intelligent candidate is mr. Nobody.
Add to that the ever present garbage heap of Napels that's even obstructing Mafia activity, the ailing economy and the inherent fragility of Italian governments and this new Berlusconi government will either be short lived, or unpopular from day one up to the changing of the guard.