Popularity is a bad concept for representation. We don't need to waste any more time figuring it out.

Natural leaders and the dynamics of unanimous rule cannot to be confused with large scaling elections that don't find or promote these leaders. The system produces obvious garbage once scaled beyond a small group.

Hypothetically if you could have a population perfectly informed without bias they could make a good rationale choice. This is beyond unrealistic as you scale elections though because the information required to make a good decision increases beyond what most humans are capable of.

Much like capitalism, democracy seems only acceptable on a very small and well regulated scale which invariably grows into the monstrosity we deal with today.