&gt; the mismatch between emphasis on the US President and how much power they actually have is kind of ridiculous.<p>Just to touch on this one point, the situation has its own twisted logic. With this election the concept of the presidency may be entering a new phase where it acts primarily as a lighting rod for disaffection. This effectively helps to strengthen existing power structures in the houses (the parties, ways of working, lobbyists etc.) by focusing popular discontent on a single office.