Democracy in the USA and Iran - Is there a difference?

Here is the beginning of the Presidential election process in the USA through the lens of the democraratic party procedures:

1. To become a delegate for the party from your State you must have friends in high places - just like in Iran. These delgates are not elected by voters - the voters do not need to know this detail.
2. People cast their votes for their own presidential candidate - not the delegate supporting this candidate. To confuse the process the rules differ naturally in all States - some vote through caucuses, some just vote for a candidate and some do both. The actual delegate selection process is said to be too complex to be explained for the voters.
3. Finally the Party delegates for the State get selected. Then at one point all States get together in a huge "party" to elect the party's Presidential candidate. In principle it is simple - but there is yet another caviat.
4. Suddenly the party brings in their secret weapon of 700 plus SUPERDELEGATES. The voters do not know who they are. However, when the party's nominee for Presidential candidate needs slightly over 2000 votes, 700 plus party votes can change it at will.
5. It has been explained that this SUPRDELEGATE force is a nevcessary to secure that the voters do not make stupid decisions???
6. Why bother voting? These SUPERDELEGATES are nothing but our Seyyed Ali Khamene'i and his closest followers. If they don't like whom we elected they cast their vote - and voila - somebody else got elected. End of story!
7. There is very little democratic in this process. Can someone again explain why we waste money for any voting process at all? These party SUPERDELEGATES have of course a superior intelligence and with that they for sure know such small details like what is best for the voters and how to get it for them.