Convincing ourselves using logic that one candidate is better than another is very difficult.

I second that, there are too many variables and dynamics at play to arrive at a logical conclusion.

but because he was the candidate from a currently hated party, he lost.

Sadly this has been the state of affairs in most democratic countries. People tend to judge candidates based on their associations rather than their individual capabilities. Some of them are hardcore believers in some particular ideologies and they vote the party that it more inclined towards what they believe in.

More importantly, I am more aware of what systems I can play with for my own sake. Because we need to be as strong as possible if we want to have a greater degree of control over our daily lives.

100% agree, that is something I believe is the responsibility of every voter, to dig deep and be conscious about their voting decision and the actual factors that influence it.

But that's a very miniscule percentage of voters. Most are gullible that easily fall for these campaigns, speeches and all other forms of convincing and marketing gimmicks. It takes a certain level of education, intelligence and critical thinking to look underneath the surface.

Its exemplary that you are using your voting participation and analyzing its implications to be more informed, conscious and aware about the politics and their real underlying agendas.