I have had similar conversations with my boss recently. It seems that even idealistic, good-hearted, optimistic people get swallowed by the political machine. I don't think they necessarily become corrupt or evil, and I don't even know that it's power that makes them so, but there is so much inertia and it's so hard to get anything done. How can they become anything but jaded and cynical? I don't think American politics are unique in this regard.