Hawk,
Democracy is the best thing going, but it is prone to subversion. Why should I move if a thug wins office locally, and proceeds to consolidate his powerbase and ensure himself lifelong re-election? All too often, name recognition goes a lot farther than rationality and memory when it comes to local elections. Being able to call in the state police or the feds when civil rights are being abused is one of the blessings we have now, that didn't always exist. Still, it ain't perfect, and I am suspicious of any local fiefdom, and always make a point of knowing who's related to the local lords.
And term limits do make sense, at every level of government.
