Like it's common to forget, or not mention more trivial aspects like land something something, and that a whole lot were literally wealthy men from just one place, merchants (smugglers someone said?), some people owed someone else? nope?, slavery etc? Don't think so :D
Useless because everyone around you genuinely thinks differently from you? Or useless because said 70+ yo retired asset owners with more means to vote without more than the working class?
Big difference in issue. You can't gerrymander a local bill so those kinds of votes are arguably more important than nationals. And you'd be surprised how big a difference a visit with a few dozen of your peers can make to a townhall meeting. That's something we seem to forget until our backs are truly to a wall.
I think that's an exaggeration, everyone does this in a FPTP system. I've never voted for a candidate in any party I particularly liked, you just pick the closest.