Without googling a bunch of quotes, can we agree that a healthy democracy depends on an well-informed populace... that misinformation thwarts the goal of having a well-informed voting population?

Nope. In any democracy, most people aren't ever going to be "well-informed" about public issues. And it's completely rational for them to be that way. It costs resources to be well-informed about politics, but the impact of a marginal voter on the outcome of political processes is trivial. Most voters are rationally ignorant about the granular details of public policy and the specifics of a candidate's position. They rely on heuristics to make their choices. They vote their values, not their policies. Any and every democracy is going to work like that.

There are some voters that enjoy immersing themselves in information about public policy issues and politics. Everyone on here is among them. We find it stimulating or interesting or just enjoyable to argue about things. Those voters are a tiny minority of the electorate - and always will be. If a "well-informed populace" is a prerequisite for a healthy democracy, then there has never been and will never be a healthy democracy in the U.S. - or really anywhere.

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