I also think that the Democratic party is lead by people who are among the elite and have no real connection to the average person. The GOP doesn't either but they tell a story that will compel those with enlarged amygdalas.
I used to think that but have come to the conclusion in recent years that people act the way they do because their lives are genuinely terrible and there is no possibility of them becoming better because there is nowhere for them to go. For those with great motivation, great intelligence, or great connections, there are plenty of things to do. For the average person brought up in and living in an average way, though, there is nothing but generational pain.
Sadly, most people don't have enough imagination to consider how things could be better for them or everyone.
I work for a university. Everyone around me has a PhD. I am also earning my own doctorate. NOBODY uses the term "Doctor" except when someone passes their defense and their committee chair gets to be the first person to call them that. I know several university deans and provosts, and I call them by first name. My physician is also faculty. First name. This guy was an idiot.
I had a colleague say something like "we are bit short staffed so thanks for being patient" which just pissed up this entitled woman who then started spouting about how she worked in HR and she wanted to know who the manager's name was. Just going on and on and eventually I just yelled out who the name of the manager was, which somehow short circuited the diatribe. Somehow she was one of those people who could become offended by a genuine "thanks for the patience".
Iran only exists in this form because of the US and Israel. They were a flourishing culture until interfered with.