The greatest country in the history of civilization has become dangerously uncivilized.

We’re living through the “Thelma and Louise” election, and it doesn’t work out in the end. For months, both candidates have been headed toward the electoral cliff of division and discord — fueled by an electorate seething with resentment and revenge. The focus groups I’ve conducted across America during this election are the loudest, angriest and rudest I’ve seen in my career.

There is no good precedent for our coarseness and vulgarity. America has survived and thrived despite a devastating Civil War and global aggression. We’ve overcome economic difficulties far greater than those we are facing now. We’ve lost political leaders to assassination, yet someone has always risen to take their place. We’ve had tough, nasty elections, but nothing as embarrassing as this. The world used to look upon our democracy with respect and deference; the 2016 presidential election has turned that to a mixture of amusement and disdain.

Here’s the problem: Once you inject hyper-anger into civil society, it is almost impossible to undo. During their three grueling debates, as millions of Americans looked on in disgust, both presidential candidates refused to seek even a modicum of common ground, choosing smears over solutions every time. In less than 24 hours, Americans will learn who will lead them for the next four years. Whoever is chosen, the winner will have the highest unfavorability rating of any newly elected president in the past half- century.

The cause — and result — is hardly a mystery. A vast majority of Americans are fed up with the partisan conflict and political gamesmanship between “the liar and the lunatic,” as my “60 Minutes” CBS focus group called them. If Hillary Clinton wins on Tuesday, from Day 1 she will spend her time fending off congressional investigations. If Donald J. Trump wins, he has said he will go after the very people who have accused him of impropriety. (And should he lose, he has said that he will declare the election rigged, and his followers have threatened unrest.)