Number

You may argue the votes are blinded, and any electorate can say one thing but do another.

Very true. Nonetheless, normal human psychology states that most people cannot lie – they would merely be evasive and say they don’t know, don’t understand, or don’t remember.

(In fact, it is an extraordinary capability to deliberately lie in the public. These people will go far.)

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You may say my discussion above is truth of the Sunday school.

Yes, but, let’s consider this: Why is it a game of positive reinforcement?

Exactly because the choice of an electorate is not without consequence.

Then, why's it not without consequence?

Because the number of electorate is small. As a result, it doesn't take too much effort for the winner to thank those who voted for him, or, if he prefers, work out some consequence for those who voted otherwise. If there is a huge number of electorate (for example, in the case of a general election), such a thank-or-penalize system would hardly work, and, that's the only circumstance when the voting could really be blinded, and electorates could choose the one they like (which, I remind you, is the cardinal principle of voting and democracy) rather than everyone going for the likely winner.

Go read The Art of Strategy.