No, the country shouldn't be held hostage by a small group of agitators. They can vote like the rest of the country, and if they don't convince enough people to join their cause then they should suck it up and try to be more convincing.
We didn't have an equivalent election here yet.
What it couldn't protect us from is becoming infiltrated by a foreign government, and that's a pretty basic function of any government, so I think y'all need to humble yourselves.
That is not a bold take.
A feature of democracy is that a majority can set the course of their society by voting.
A feature of liberalism is that a minority can attempt to become a majority by argument.
If there were a nefarious foreign power pulling the strings of my Western-style democracy (which, where I live, would be an unhinged belief), I'd use my vote and my voice to oppose it, not jettison the vote nor jettison my rights.