"Democracy is at my core."

This sounds like another platitude with a vague meaning. Sorry, for being so abrupt. But unlike many other political commentators on Medium, I don't believe "voting and protesting" is enough.

The American system is breaking down. The next populist leader (who could come from the left) is going to be a lot smarter than Mr. Trump.

Why vote for a political party and the candidates they proffer to you when you can vote for someone you really know well.

Check out Tiered Democratic Governance

https://medium.com/discourse/tiered-democratic-governance-3f36a8f45660

Is the democarcy you can put into your core?

P.S. If you like this kind of democarcy, you will have to do more than vote, protest, and write Medium articles to make it work.