If you look hard enough, you can find the ones who are different - Ron Paul comes to mind, although I don't completely agree with him. He's an incumbent and I've seen stories on those who are like him - just can't remember the names at the moment.

The incumbent concentration of power might be a more accurate description of what's wrong.

I disagree with you in one area, though. Quite frankly, people from Jesus to Thomas Jefferson knew the value of keeping religion private and getting it out of politics. Religion is a deeply personal thing. I'll keep disagreeing with the people who think religion is being persecuted until lawsuits start popping up preventing people from worshipping on private property.