they literally just skipped the democratic part of choosing a nominee for it to be handed down like a crown

How about the fact that nobody mounts a serious challenge against an incumbent anyway, how is that any better? Is it because they were already elected in the general 4 years ago? Because Kamala was on that ticket, too. Oh, and nobody votes for the VP nominee in the primary stage, even if they are second in line. Heck, you kind of have to trust the presidential nominee on that front.