I know what you mean, although strictly speaking there's no contradiction in a state being both a constitutional republic and a democracy; constitutional republic is the form or shape of the state, democracy is the process for how leaders get their positions.

Which sadly tends to devolve towards the lowest common denominator: mob rule.

But that's fixating too much on the semantics I think - better we look at methods & results, and who did what, when - how - and to whom.

Personally, I think the problem revolves around the issue of franchise and citizenship being handed out like they were Halloween-candy.

Candied apples with razor-blades being your average politician's promises, to extend the metaphor.