The electoral process in America is designed to both be cathartic and empower whatever becomes the "new majority". Whatever ticket musters the majority can cause similar damage, depending upon their ability to exploit the trust in the empowered majority that put them in power. Sometimes a more trusted, populist ticket will garner more support and be able to more fully exploit their assembled majority.
Frankly, I think that the only way to move forward chosen policies is to let the people pick their prefered faux policy generators that are right for the present time to do so. Those faux leaders do not determine the policy, but are rather pre-determined by the people to be the best ones to sell the policies back to the people.
The machine has evolved to pick the leaders most apt at enacting the policies most needed by the machine to grow and become more powerful. The machine knows its gears must be maintained. The machine knows when there is excess to steal. The machine know how to reset resentment and heal, and set up its hosts for more abuse later. The machine knows that sometimes the people's best friends are the best ones to fuck them.