Bumper Sticker Patriotism

With the upcoming Presidential election in full swing, ideologies have become rampant on TV, the internet, magazines, and various other outlets. What never ceases to exists (or amaze me) is the mostly blind rhetorical "talking points" that are so abundant. Whether from the right or the left of the spectrum, it is becoming increasingly clear to me that neither side has any interest in doing what is best for the American people, and the line that once differentiated them has become increasingly blurred. The Democrats (minus a few) with their appeasing style and willingness to excuse abuses by colleagues makes me ill. The Republicans (again, minus a very few) and their arrogance and utter contempt for the rule of law makes me bitter about the entire process. What's worse, both parties use the "rally around the flag" effect as if to make what they are doing--or lack there of-- legitimate and even patriotic! (mostly just to get votes). Yet, the people still believe them.
Is it naievety or the less benign hope that things might actually work this time around?
I realize that this has been talked about ad nauseum by bloggers like myself and by more talented writers in the news than I. But why does it continue? What is this blind patriotism, anyway? When I drive to work or wherever else I may be going, I always see American flag stickers on cars along with others that say "Support The Troops", etc. I don't have a problem with this because I think the troops, despite being misled and sent into a very difficult situation, really do need the support of the people. But what bothers me is that people seem to stop their patriotism at just words on their car, and this is what I call "bumper sticker patriotism". It requires nothing but claiming your pride in your country, with no substance or effort to prove it otherwise. Where is the sacrifice that is made? Do as you are told and things will be fine.
Other bumper stickers that bother me (maybe most) are the one's that proudly claim "I support George W. Bush" or "Don't blame me, I voted for Kerry". The former are simply a group of individuals that, I believe, will never be able to view things objectively and are so blindly led, that they are impossible to persuade or even talk to. The latter should be ashamed of themselves for not doing more. As if a bumper sticker claiming that you didn't vote for one of the worst presidents in our history makes you exempt from doing anything else to help our wounded nation. And this is my point: We have reached a point where those who go against what is perceived to be "patriotic" are considered anti-american extremists, when in reality they (mostly) are doing their patriotic duty to help restore what once was. And those who rail against them, generally, are the people that are those "bumper sticker patriots". They see only through the lens of their world and not through a much larger one. They do as they are told and proudly display their hatred for the "neo-con" or the "liberal hippy scum" to their cohorts because they are told to do so without thinking critically. Their disdain for all things supposedly "un-American" is so acute that they cannot see the forest for the trees. Often, they brush aside their own party leaders' actions in order to sling mud at the opponents' leaders. Do as you are told, and all will be fine. Where are the days where we actually worked toward a common goal in the political spehere? Hell, where are they days where we could actually communicate an idea without being labeled a fascist, socialist, or communist before any discussion has even been explored? Do they even know what those terms mean?