Export quality democracy?

I have been reading articles about possible fraud in the 2004 Presidential election. There is a convincing argument that the voting in Ohio, which swung the election to Bush, was highly improper stopping many Democrats from voting. It is alleged that the Ohio Secretary of State Kenneth Blackwell, a Republican, was the leader of this daibolical scheme. In 2000, we saw Kathleen Harris, the Secretary of State of Florida, who also was the chair of the Bush campaign, prematurely announcing Bush to be the winner of the election at least three times before it was finally ruled in Bush’s favor by the Supreme Court. I just cannot understand how this country can allow partician politicians to run the elections! We need an independent Election Commission assuring fair elections like they have in India and other democratic countries.
Most of the politicians in USA (Republicans and Democrats) are in the pockets of the lobbyists of big businesses. The mainstream media, which is supposed to keep a close watch on the elections and report fraud and other shenanigans, have become big businesses themselves, and are careful not to upset the people in power. I am losing my confidence in the democratic system in USA, and wonder how other countries see it. It certainly is not 'export quality' for other countries to emulate.