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Notes -
A mite uncharitable, I think.
“Democracy” is a confused and loaded term, but it’s not so completely diluted to include that outcome. I am confident that American liberals, even neoliberals in power, would be horrified should an 85% vote get ignored. The working definition is something more like “autocracy with accountability”: the government should do its usual Government Things, and if the people are sufficiently upset, they’ll vote some representatives out. 85% is an example of that, and 47% is not.
This is compatible with a pro-manager-class interest, if you want to use the Marxist lens. It’s also compatible with good old-fashioned rational self-interest. Going along with a supermajority is good for one’s career. Switching horses midstream, not so much. If Trump had a supermajority, we wouldn’t be having this debate, because bureaucrats would be implementing that agenda—look at the post-9/11 government. It’s the uncertainty that kills.
Oh, I think that democracy as a word is still useful and that people can still have meaningful discussions using it. But I'm certain that a lot of people and organisations/institutions use the definition that I've suggested.
I wouldn't expect any mainstream Americans to do so unironically.
The acceptable way to criticize democracy, here in the US, is to claim the Other Guys defected first. Don't listen to the racists; they've been trying to take away human rights. Keep the commies from getting any power, since they'll just use it to dismantle democracy. He deserved arrest, since he was obviously abusing the office to sell secrets. Lock her up; she can't get away with white-collar crime.
Actually believing that the PMCs should be ignoring the people is considered gauche, even for most of the alleged PMCs. Such sentiment will almost always be couched in an appeal to justice or rationalized as protecting Democracy.
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