Democracy consists of choosing your dictators, after they've told you what you think it is you want to hear.

Coren’s quip satirizes electoral politics by suggesting that, in practice, democratic choice can be reduced to selecting among would‑be rulers who have already shaped voters’ desires through rhetoric, messaging, and emotional appeal. The sting lies in the reversal of democratic idealism: instead of citizens determining policy and leaders serving as delegates, leaders (or parties) present prepackaged narratives that tell the electorate what it supposedly wants, and the electorate then ratifies one of these options. The word “dictators” is hyperbolic, used to highlight how power can feel concentrated and how persuasion can substitute for genuine consent. It’s a warning about manipulation, populism, and the limits of choice in mass politics.