How are there so many "smart" people in politics?

  But no one is attempting to find answers that will satisfy both sides. I am talking about "marriage equality". Now before anyone gets upset or tries to use this against me, let me just say. I believe that everyone in the country deserves the same God-granted rights that this country was founded on, whatever race, gender, sexual preference, basically whatever you adhere to or believe in.
  I am a staunch Christian and believe that performing homosexual acts is a sin. But as a conservative I believe that everyone deserves to be treated the same by the government. Homosexual couples who want to just be awarded the same rights as a straight couple, should have the same rights.
  Now this is where I might lose some people, I believe that marriage is defined as a union between a man and a woman. Marriage has historically been a religious rite, yes you can argue that marriage has been throughout all history, but it has stemmed from religion.
  The United States didn't start regulating marriages until the 1800's when the population was starting to boom and the census wasn't able to keep up, so the easiest way to keep track of everyone was to have them get licenses as a way for the feds to keep tally on who was where and how many people were citizens.
  Back then, they didn't think about the affects regulating marriages would have on everyone, just like it is now, homosexuals were a small minority, albeit less vocal than today, and for good reasons too. Now before anyone takes that out of context, I am lamenting the deaths of people based solely on their sexual preference, just like I lament every death because someone was different.
  I believe that if they would have known the hassle, the fighting, and the heartache that people are going through today they would have not regulated marriages, making marriage licenses, they would have named them Civil Unions, or Domestic Partnerships. I would gladly sign up for a Civil Union license, and I would gladly endorse that for anyone else.
  I wonder if some politician really wanted to change the wording, from Marriage License, to Civil Union License. How hard he would have to work, how difficult it would be to get bipartisan help to make everyone happy. I have tried to contact the Governor of Utah, the Lieutenant Governor, and their aides to see what it would take for the state to issue Civil Union Licenses instead of Marriage Licenses and all I get in return are form letters thanking me for my suggestion.
  In my opinion most politicians are extremely corrupt, especially ones that make a career out of being a politician. And nothing makes them more money than having discord in the ranks of their constituents and hangers-on. I mean, who would donate money to them if they did not have a few good one-liners about issues such as this.
  I have talked to many people about this, conservatives such as my self, libertarians, and liberals, all agree that doing away with Marriage licenses all together is a good idea. But then again we are all just normal citizens, unwise to the way that the political system actually works.
  I hope one day all citizens of the United States will be treated equally, and the way to do that is to actually find a good solution, not force what you want on others. But that really seems to be the way that politics work.