Why run for elected office?

I've spent considerable time lately thinking about (pondering) and watching the politician's trying to decide about running for elected office. It used to be fairly simple, but obviously today it has become so complex you have to wonder why anyone would subject themselves to that grief.

It is no longer enough to want to serve and help your country - I fear that has long ago passed and today it is ONLY about the power and money. No matter which party or side you choose to be associated with, the only way someone can become noticed or known is by using the media of some type and that never escapes the watchful eye of those who currently hold the power and money - and they absolutely are not going to let someone into the inside circle with promises of providing more power and more money to them.

When a respectable and good intentioned person does finally break into the limelight, then everyone, it seems, from both sides, go into attack mode and attempts to disgrace that person so that THEY can look better. It seems like nobody, even within the same party, wishes anyone else any success and does their absolute best to destroy the candidate before he or she ever gets started.

We have a long list of potential folks for office, from the Presidential race all the way to local levels, and it doesn't seem to matter who or how good someones past is (was?) that person is probed and questioned until at least once, one day, under immense pressure, they make one tiny mistake and then the entire world it seems jumps on them and starts picking at that tiny issue.

I wonder how our founding fathers would view our current political process? I wonder if ANY of them could be elected with today's process? My main wonder is why does anyone, knowing all of the above, ever decide to attempt to run for elected office?

These are my thoughts, please share yours......
Steve