Our Republic, what remains of it, if anything

Today a friend send me an article that appeared in the Ultra Liberal Publication called VOX. The writer claimed to be a student of democracies. The article written by Shaun Bowler can be found here. Vox 

Mr. Bowler, although a self proclaimed "Student of Democracies" was apparently unaware that America was founded not as a Democracy but as a Republic.   Big, Big difference. As Benjamin Franklin said in response to a question of whether we had a Republic or a Monarchy as he was leaving the constitutional convention of 1787. He replied "A Republic if you can keep it."

Sadly, we are now living in a post constitutional era where the checks and balances in the constitution have all been eroded, where the executive branch rules by executive orders and both houses of congress have been emasculated and too weak to object. They have abdicated their constitutional power and authority. What we have now is a plutocracy of wealthy corporate elites and wealthy elite big government Democrats. America as it was founded is effectively gone. Franklin's premonition in his response was far sighted. "...if you can keep it." We haven't. It's lost regardless of the outcome of this election.