Why would an intelligent, well informed electorate vote for candidates who fail the basics of fitness?

Despite the fact the Democrat Party machine selected a candidate who was less than inspiring, and the Republican Party machine recognized the power of the bigotry in THE BASE and selected their voice of bigotry as their candidate, a well informed, intelligent electorate would have seen, or should have seen, the Republican candidate did not represent the best of Republican or American ideals and not voted for him. My conclusion is the electorate is ignorant at best, and at worst wallows in the most craven of human characteristics and certainly antithetical to the fundamental values of our Founders.

ignorance is the enemy
without equality there is no liberty
America can survive bad policy, but not destruction of our Democratic institutions