Democracy is like a heat shield on a returning space vehicle.
At first, it has very little to do. But then as the speed and heat increase, evil realizes that literally anything goes as long as they get the vote. So pandering, crime, lies, theft, and every vile thing gets thrown at the electorate, to tempt and spearate out those who can be bought for their vote.
In the mean time, Democracy itself, the very government of principles and balance and fairness that supprts it, is on fire, and breaking off in burning chunks, being reduced moment by moment by those hacking away at it in order to control it and get votes by any means.
But like a heat shield, it's not supposed to last forever. The adversary is trying to break it apart before it's use is finished, and thus engulf the spacecraft in an explosion of flames and explode, it, killing its occupants. It's defenders are trying to make it last long enough to reduce enough speed so that it can finally pop it's chutes, and safely land.
It's a race against time.
That’s an interesting analogy. I would only differ in characterizing your “heat shield” as a Constitutional Republic, with democratic processes at the controls. What protects our national “craft” in the heat of peril is the shield of the timeless principles spread out upon a piece of parchment that serves as our foundation. It is up to the crew to ensure that no member(s) acts to the detriment of all by changing course so radically that the shield fails, no matter what alternative destination might be envisioned. Lest we forget: the threats we face are not only external, but internal.