Those who focus on their position in the bureaucracy will almost always beat those who focus on the ostensible goals of it. Although in this case there were conflicting goals....
By "democracy" you mean "republic", and it's long been known, and was remarked upon by our Founders, that they only work with a moral people. Which we are clearly no longer. We're steadily transitioning into other forms like empire and oligarchy because of that.
Those who focus on their position in the bureaucracy will almost always beat those who focus on the ostensible goals of it. Although in this case there were conflicting goals....