Of course, a bad broker is like the guy who tells on you all the time, and hooks up with the girl you like. The market is a strange beast. Sure, it's easy to make solid investment choices when the market is bullish. Chat rooms and message boards are constantly spouting out great hints that the market goes gaga for. When the market is down, there is NO good advice.
Stock goes down.
That's where a broker comes in. Her job is to break through the crap and help you see solid investment choices that will get you ahead. A good broker can tell you about a stock that no one has heard of and get you out when too many people are on the float. A good broker has years in the market and seen good times and bad times. He knows what works when things go bad and there are no good answers.