Why do people put so much stock in pundits?

Their opinions are most often biased, and means no more than mine or yours. Even less.

Many are busy trying to keep a roof over their head and food on the table. That has always been the (R)s advantage. The more people are struggling the less they pay attention.

What can you do?

Unfortunately taste and style are a fool's game .

The number of times these people have been wrong could be greatly improved by simply flipping a coin.

Lack of critical thinking skills is the only reason I can postulate.

or lazy to research facts for themselves and trust their own opinion.

But they didn't. lol.

Most of them aren't any smarter than the rest of us - they just get paid more

They were never allowed to do so in their younger days, always being told by parents, church, and school what they were supposed to think. And it just became a set way of behaving, of letting others do the thinking, never questioning anyone.

All things are subject to interpretation whichever interpretation prevails at a given time is a function of power and not truth. Friedrich Nietzsche