I'm not really trying to give either party, or in this case the DNC the benefit of the doubt. I don't have any reservations about either party being particularly democratic (as in the party elites have most of the power).

I'm just not naive about how they work but ultimately I believe they can run however they want to.

If we want to reform the system that we have (two part) it's clearly not going to come from the parties. I'm personally in favor of having open primaries in every state with relatively late voter registration, getting rid of the electoral collage and the rule that if there's mo majority the senate decides the election.