The founding fathers made a system reliant on most of the voters being literate landowners.

It kinda worked in such a situation, because it was (among those voters) relatively egalitarian.

It was also supported by functional free press.

Now things have changed to the point where mass media are not very good, censorship is a real problem, even if it's not by the government, and, ahem, political mechanisms have gotten a bit rusty even compared to 50s.

Isn't Canada closer?..

Or French Guiana. It's EU, and at the same time you get tropical beaches and wonderful nature.

Or one of the Scandinavian countries.

I mean, if you want Germany, then fine.