I'm starting to wonder if the real purpose of the political process is just to inject some randomness and uncertainty into selecting our leaders, just a mechanism to substitute for naked power and raw violence. Not that there isn't a lot of that going on, but only at higher, more abstract, and less obvious levels. Perhaps the electoral process just disguises the power and violence. Still, a series of lotteries would probably produce the same result.

I think you may be on to something there. Every system of human government has flaws, some larger than others. People have to settle on something that at least is as unflawed as possible, and can do a minimum amount of damage. The system of government we developed in the U.S. is better than many others, but nowhere close to perfect. It helps to remember that one of the main goals of the Founders was to try and severely limit and decentralize the power of the State and its rulers so that a bad government could do the minimum amount of damage. Unfortunately, a lot of this has been undone over the years (sometimes with the best intentions--a weak government can't do Great Things either), and more and more power has been focused on the central government.

It really shouldn't BE this important who's President, or your Senator, but there it is.

It's worse because the system actively selects for those who like power, and believe with every fiber of their being that the world needs them to be in charge. It's why people like Hillary or Nixon get to the White House, and people like Thompson and Goldwater don't. A libertarian politician is an oxymoron. A socialist and/or authoritarian politician is their natural state. Reagan seems to have been almost a freak of nature.

Every system of government needs a certain suspension of disbelief to keep it running. God DID anoint the King. Every single vote IS counted. My Senator DOES read my letters. Heck, life is like that. You walk into an elevator and head for the fiftieth floor in the certain knowledge that the elevator inspector is infallible, that the architects don't make mistakes, and that the city inspectors aren't on the take.

So the bright side is that our system has outlived many presidents, some good, some not so hot. Same for other politicians. It's outlived many severe strains on it throughout our history and it still seems to work pretty well even if parts are driven by faith. It helps if you're old enough to remember that people have been saying our nation is doomed (for an infinite variety of reasons) for a very long time.