It is, strangely enough, a mistake made be well-meaning dictators everywhere, that they believe what makes them popular to the majority of those who vote, is what their country needs......
The majority supplies not only the wisdom of the masses, but it's ignorance and superstition as well. If we are not aware of that fact, then nothing can be done to deal with it.
Edit : This is, in large related to your standard Democratically elected leader often being more concerned with staying in office for another term than in any actual long-term wellbeing of the country he is leading.