Gotta admit it. My faith in democracy is badly shaken (though not broken)

[Tom Rinaldo]

3. Yes, no doubt that plays a very large role in it

Other co-related factors come into play also. Dark money is a threat that underwrites other threats. Increasingly concentrated wealth in fewer and fewer hands allows the greedy to invest obscene amounts of money into propaganda operations, knowing that the return on their investment will be accumulate many fold over. International cyber ops disinformation warfare has spiked over the last decade, with Russia a leading practitioner, opening up new incentives and abilities to destabilize a democratic foe through skilled use of propaganda and deception. Social constraints have also loosened. Once arrogance held negative connotations providing some political check on boundless ambition, not so much anymore. Once there was shame associated with being caught in a lie. Now evidence free angry denials are trumpeted as a sign of strength and become the basis for grassroots political fundraising.

Whatever is at fault needs be discussed, exposed and countered. I almost wandered into this bog more in my OP but it was long enough already.