On What Should Respect Be Based?

Most Americans are searching for answers as to the popularity of Donald Trump among U.S. congresspeople. Virtually all our lawmakers are intelligent and highly educated; moreover they come from considerable wealth.  So why are they so terrified of the prospect of withdrawing support of a criminal sociopath?

French/Algerian existentialist author Albert Camus has no definitive answer, though he has something important to say on the matter.