elections are inherently oligarchic

Two possibilities :

1. They reflect the (existing or latent) oligarchy in an already oligarchic society
   
2. even in a non-oligarchic society, they favour the emergence of an oligarchy.

At best, elected representatives are a self-selecting sample of people who believe they know better than the rest of their fellow citizens.

The essence of democracy is government by consent. This does not require the active involvement of every citizen; and clearly it's too much to ask of most people. Sortition may be asking too much.

_{It is rightly acknowledged that people of faith have no monopoly of virtue - Queen Elizabeth II}