2016: The year Americans realized voting and elections are pretty much meaningless

[1939]

15. Back in 1952

when the conventions ad wrapped up and Ike and Adlai were chosen by the two parties, my father said that he had no role in choosing either candidate.

In the primaries, your vote is very indirect and you are really electing delegates to the convention (usually bound for the first ballot). If no single candidate has a first ballot majority (not the case since 1960) then the convention begins the horse trading to agree on a candidate who may or may not be the one who came in with a plurality. In the end, your delegate may or may not end up voting for the one you elected him/her to vote for.

In the actual election, your vote is more direct, but legally you are voting for a slate of electors to the Electoral College (who can legally change their vote).