The problems with democracy are pretty apparent actually.

First off in the current American system, the candidates must have the support of either Dems or Reps to even think about *thinking about* running for statewide office. That means that you aren't going to get people who aren't already diehard Dems or Reps. Not only that, but once in power, the parties must do what they can to keep power. If your party loses seats, you lose influence and more importantly campaign money.

Sencondly, mostly due to the media, we aren't interested in actual leadership ability, just the *appearance* of actual leadership ability. Same with the issues. For the most part, people don't pay attention to how people vote, just what they say come re-election time. We could have paid actors doing drama in washington and I don't think anyone would notice.

The third thing is that people tend to all vote in their own best interest. So in a nation where most people are rich, taxes are to be cut and all that wasteful welfare has to go. Where people are poor, the social welfare state must get bigger and better, damn the cost. If you live in the city, you vote for environmental issues, but if you live in the country, then you vote to cut down the trees and sell the wood. So if you're in the minority and really need the legislation to pass, it probably wouldn't happen.