We should certainly try to have politicians elected more by the people like in AOC’s case, but several considerations:

1. We also need a Plan B which is to engage in NGO’s more to get more bodies into the lobbying process. I’m sure you’re aware that it will be very difficult to have more AOC’s in the world (Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez), but until then, we need a Plan B. Our democratic system is design to make us obsess over who is elected, while we forget that the process of lobbying Washington with our own people who are NOT elected is actually more important. We need to keep repeating that concept over and over again, because we have been brainwashed to NOT understand that.
2. I’m not sure how well getting money completely out of the process will work. Money does have a function as people who are the most competent on average have more access to money, and those who have no access to money, might be lacking in skills. That’s not always true, but we need to keep in mind that just because somebody wants to “do the right thing” doesn’t mean they are capable of doing it. I was involved in the San Francisco Mayoral race against Ed Lee (a simple bureaucrat who became Mayor by accident when Gavin Newsom went to Sacramento and ended up becoming what money power people want — somebody who isn’t too bright doing their bidding). I was promoting several local personalities who were running against Ed. We joke that we weren’t sure what we were more scared of, that Ed would win or Ed would lose to these hopelessly idealistic liberals who would have totally screwed our city. I found liberal activists to be clueless and egomaniacal. I’m not sure which devil I would prefer. But after being an activist, I learned to despise and not trust most of them.