It seems democratic to have many people able to vote, but when a powerful few control who is NOMINATED, it is not really democracy. This talk makes this concept very clear.

So to Stalin's quote (from the memoirs of his secretary), "You know, comrades, I consider it completely unimportant who in the party will vote, or how; but what is extraordinarily important is this — who will count the votes, and how."

we have to add, it's even more important who nominates the candidates to be voted on. The counting doesn't much matter if you are choosing between apples and apples. Sure apples can differ a lot, but they are still all apples.