I don't see how that refutes my point. Most people will agree that we have a democratic process for a reason. The existence of institutions outside of the democratic process that have power over our democratically elected institutions undermines this. This has nothing to do with word semantics about what "democracy" means, or how that word applies to America.

It really depends on what leverage people outside the democratic process have on folks inside the process. If I can coerce government into actions the benefit me, actions destructive to the general welfare, then democratic process is deeply broken.