Let's see. I've been in favor of direct election of the prez and a unicameral legislature for over 30 years. Yes, the awareness that elections might not go my way has occurred to me before.
It this year's election the big distress isn't Trump -- he's old and not long for this world -- but the number of people who support him. If Trump wins, he wins. The number of people who want Fascism, though, that isn't going away soon. People have an imaginary idea of what life under an autocrat is like. There are no happy Fascist countries. People's lives don't improve. The problem with "electing" an autocrat is getting rid of him when the time comes. The difference between the FBI and the Stasi|Gestapo|FSB isn't small. A man with vengeance on his mind will bring in a Stasi|Gestapo|FSB. It's been so long since Americans had to face the impact of Fascism and autocracy, they have a weird perception of what it would mean for them. It'll be rule by gangsters.