Take the quotes off "wrong". Too many people view democracy as a holy justifier of dictatorship, as if, because it was voted in, it is therefore ok.
Democracy is a tool of freedom. Freedom is the master, not the servant of it, and is not something to be waved away because some charismatic demagogue can briefly convince 51% of the population to grant him infinite power.
Politicians tout democracy rather than freedom because freedom means freedom...from them, while democracy means massive powers authorized to them.
I'm not saying the US playing the game of "oh well, if it's gonna be a dictator, might as well be one friendly to us" is something noble, but I am so sick of this drooling, unthinking slavishness to the Holy Shrine of Democracy, when it yields little to no freedom.