non political individual looking for polical answers!

While the politician(s) is campaigning (aka brainwashing), for months on end, (1) is the individual receiving his salary (since he's not performing the duties he was elected for?). (2) if their staff is performing the elected official's duties why pay him while absent from the office? Why hasn't anyone raised these or similar questions before? The billion dollars being blown away (ego trip) on the campaigns is a national disgrace. I wonder what the starving poor and dying (for lack of food or medicine) people around the world are saying about us (Americans).