The original American notion of “representative democracy” was supposed to mean representation by your peers.
The specific context for this was: Someone who has a career, a private life and private responsibilities outside the realm of politics. This person was to go into political office for a temporary period, help run the functions of a severely limited government, and then go home again. That’s not the culture of Washington DC today, and this is not the perspective of anyone running for office. All three candidates for President are elite career politicians who have never aimed for any kind of life outside of their quest for power. I realize that John McCain is an arguable exception to this for his prior military service, but outside of this ancient history we’re looking at three people whose lives and interests have had very little to do with those of the American people who live outside of the world of politics.
Ex-candidate John Edwards liked to talk of “two Americas.” He meant to point out the differences between rich and poor. The actual “two Americas” consist of those who live in a constant quest for power — as opposed to those who have lives.