The thing that really pisses me off about the American political system is the fact that 3rd parties are rigged out of the progress. The founders simply could not have understood how 100 years after the constitutional conventions, the two party dominance would be solidified. But the last time a third party rose to prominence was 1860, when the republicans showed up. The last time a third party had any influence at all was around 1900 with the brief rise of the progressives and farmer laborers.
Proportional representation schemes for party selected representatives like they have in some European countries may not seem democratic, however they let a dissatisfied voter cast a vote for a third party and actually give some strength to that movement. Whereas in the US, supporting the third party just gives us Bush vs. Gore. (another lovely case of Supreme Court ass pulling.) The unelected party representatives strikes me as far more democratic the Nadar saga. I think a large part of why american participation in elections is so abysmally low has to do with the shutting out of the third parties.
My current representative's time in congress has been spent weakening the stimulus, obstructing cap and trade, obstructing HCR and opposing bank regulation, all things I fully support and he wouldn't even touch things like dont ask dont tell, passing gay marriage, repealing the tax breaks for the rich or putting string on funding to isreal. He is far, far to the right of me politically. But I don't have the slightest doubt in my mind that I'll vote for him come next election because the other guy looks like a nazi in comparison. It would be nice if I could actually vote my beliefs instead of voting for the lesser of two evils. In say, Germany, I could do that by casting my vote for the gay-socialism-rainbow party and bringing them one vote closer to having another seat. Or possibly a first seat, I don't really follow german politics too closely.