> The pretense of this nation being a functional democratic republic has long been abandoned. We have merely the simulacrum of it now. The institutions of demo

> The pretense of this nation being a functional democratic republic has long been abandoned. We have merely the simulacrum of it now. The institutions of democracy in this country are challenged, but I'd say we are a long way from being a mere "simulacrum" of a functional democratic republic. I am confident that the populace and the institutions will rise up to the challenges. Popular policies or leaders aren't necessarily good, and vice versa. As an example, the president of El Salvador is wildly popular, with 80-90% approval ratings in polls; but critics also accuse him of being an authoritarian whose rule may well end up leaving El Salvador in a backslide into autocracy.