But what good is the popular opinion, if the lot of us just process like minions?

When you're the only sane person, you look like the only insane person.

They have a very vocal tiny minority of American citizens who overwhelm the majority because they are so vocal and they're so vehement. So politicians are afraid of them,

The acts of the minority are affecting the majority and causing the closure of public lands. Just because of a few people that break the law we have to suffer.

You can't create a majority with this election. You can increase the regular minority vote on the council, but you're not going to change the outcome.

A majority opinion does not represent the ultimate decision because such a view is not unanimous and lacks general will.