You hit it head on......

One of the failings of the American people over the past 40 or so years is that they take a side on a person they like, and anything he/she does is wonderful. And visa versa. The WWII generation and some of their children in the Post-War Baby Boom were able to see the substance from the smoke. But generations since have little work experience or maturity, and their points of reference are whatever feels good. 

The public school systems and parents abdicating their responsibilities have caused this. Years ago I burst in on a Korean programmer having lunch with a Vietnamese programmer. They were laughing about American parents wanting to be their children's best friends. As they explained to me - in their culture the parents are the parents and the children are the children. When the kids become adults, they can be friends with their parents. I explained that the America I grew up in used to be like that.