How Democracies Die has a lot about the paradox of democratic gatekeeping.
The Collier's editors observed that fall:
When Democratic [Party] chieftains are asked:
"What about Ford?" they all shrug their shoulders.
Almost without a single exception the men who constitute what is usually known as the "organization" in every State are opposed to Ford. In all the States except where there are presidential primaries these men practically hand-pick the delegates to the national con-ventions. ... Nobody denies the amount of Ford sentiment among the masses of the people-Democratic and Republican. Every Democratic leader knows his State is full of it—and he is afraid of it. He thinks, however, that because of the machinery of selection of delegates there is little likelihood that Ford will make much of a showing.
Despite popular enthusiasm for his candidacy, Ford was effectively locked out of contention. Senator James Couzens called the idea of his candidacy ridiculous. "How can a man over sixty years old, who ... has no training, no experience, aspire to such an office?" he asked. "It is most ridiculous."
Most ridiculous, indeed.
There were several American authoritarians besides Henry Ford that enjoyed Trump-like popularity. This was before open primaries started in the ‘70s. Instead, party leaders just picked candidates, so those guys had no chance.
There’s obviously problems with that. No one elected those guys to be gatekeepers, and they were not very accountable.
Also, is it democratic to restrict choice to only candidates that aren’t going to end democracy? Father Coughlin was against democracy and elections, and at one point,
a third of the US population listened to his show. At times, the will of the people is to not have democracy.
I can only say that I would prefer to live in a self-perpetuating democracy, even if that’s not the truest possible philosophical democracy. I like Canada’s system in which it is explicitly clear that you are electing MPs that will select presidential candidates. It is gatekeeping, but you know you’re selecting a gatekeeper, and the gatekeepers’ votes are open and public, not confined to a classic smoke-filled room.