Washington (CNN) Voters aren't just choosing the next president on Tuesday. They're mercifully putting the most emotionally draining and overwrought campaign in decades out of its misery.

A White House battle fought not over the direction of the nation but through blistering character attacks is triggering extreme emotions in the final days of the race.

The 2016 campaign has been dominated by explicit sexual content and racially charged rhetoric. Fuming crowds at Donald Trump's rallies harness their hatred of Hillary Clinton with the chant, "Lock her up." Clinton, meanwhile, depicts a Trump victory as an apocalyptic event.

No wonder the country is at the end of its rope.

"At this point we are all boiled frogs. We are wondering why our skin is falling off," said Tommy Vietor, who worked for Barack Obama's 2008 presidential campaign and in the White House and now co-hosts the "Keeping it 1600" podcast. "I think when this election ends and people stop for a minute and people actually reflect, they will realize how insane and horrible and unprecedented it really was."

Election obsession syndrome is taking hold of the country. Its main symptoms are soaring ratings for cable news shows and frequent refreshing of polling and election forecasting websites. With Clinton's lead over Trump in battleground states shrinking in the final stretch, the next two days promise to be even more nerve-wracking as both sides angle for victory.

The cover of next week's New Yorker sums up the brittle national mood -- especially among fretful liberals -- picturing a man on a train reading a newspaper with the headlines "Oh Sweet Jesus, Please God No," and "Anything But That."

Even "Saturday Night Live" has had enough . During the opening sketch Saturday, Alec Baldwin broke out of his Trump impression and turned to Kate McKinnon, who plays Clinton, and said: "I'm sorry, Kate. I just hate yelling this stuff at you like this."

"Yes, I know, right?" she answered. "This whole election has been so mean."

"I just feel gross all the time. Don't you guys feel gross all the time about this?" Baldwin asked the audience.

The pair then ran outside the studio. Baldwin hugged an African-American man and McKinnon embraced a man with a "Make America Great Again" hat who gave her a piggy-back ride while she ate cotton candy. It was a cathartic moment meant to celebrate the diversity of American life.

Photos: Final days of the 2016 campaign Photos: Final days of the 2016 campaign Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton voted in Chappaqua, New York, on Election Day, Tuesday, November 8. Afterward, she and her husband, former U.S. President Bill Clinton, visited with locals outside the voting area. Hide Caption 1 of 81 Photos: Final days of the 2016 campaign Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump casts his vote in New York on Election Day. Hide Caption 2 of 81 Photos: Final days of the 2016 campaign Clinton addresses a midnight rally at North Carolina State University in Raleigh early on November 8. Both Clinton and Trump barnstormed across battleground states in a frenetic, last-minute push for votes. Hide Caption 3 of 81 Photos: Final days of the 2016 campaign Clinton greets Lady Gaga backstage after the campaign event in Raleigh on November 8. The singer urged the crowd to make history and elect the first woman president. Hide Caption 4 of 81 Photos: Final days of the 2016 campaign Clinton held a rally in Philadelphia the night before Election Day. Hide Caption 5 of 81 Photos: Final days of the 2016 campaign Clinton's rally in Philadelphia included appearances from President Barack Obama and first lady Michelle Obama. Hide Caption 6 of 81 Photos: Final days of the 2016 campaign The Clintons share a moment backstage. Hide Caption 7 of 81 Photos: Final days of the 2016 campaign Trump's family -- as well as Trump's running mate, Indiana Gov. Mike Pence -- join the candidate for a rally in Manchester, New Hampshire, on Monday, November 7. Hide Caption 8 of 81 Photos: Final days of the 2016 campaign Trump visited Raleigh on November 7. Hide Caption 9 of 81 Photos: Final days of the 2016 campaign Trump makes an appeal to voters in Scranton, Pennsylvania, on November 7. Hide Caption 10 of 81 Photos: Final days of the 2016 campaign Trump daughter-in-law Lara Trump joins former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani for the Scranton rally on November 7. Hide Caption 11 of 81 Photos: Final days of the 2016 campaign Clinton takes the stage during a rally at the University of Pittsburgh on November 7. Hide Caption 12 of 81 Photos: Final days of the 2016 campaign Trump's rally in Manchester was one of five stops the candidate made November 7, the last full day of campaigning. Hide Caption 13 of 81 Photos: Final days of the 2016 campaign Clinton's image is reflected in a teleprompter as she greets supporters after a rally in Pittsburgh on November 7. Hide Caption 14 of 81 Photos: Final days of the 2016 campaign Trump checks out a rubber mask of himself during a campaign rally in Sarasota, Florida, on November 7. Hide Caption 15 of 81 Photos: Final days of the 2016 campaign Trump's face is obscured by a teleprompter as he holds his campaign rally in Raleigh on November 7. Hide Caption 16 of 81 Photos: Final days of the 2016 campaign President Obama arrives to speak at a Clinton rally in Ann Arbor, Michigan, on November 7. Hide Caption 17 of 81 Photos: Final days of the 2016 campaign Preparations continue November 7 at the Jacob Javits Convention Center in New York City, where Clinton will hold an election night event. Hide Caption 18 of 81 Photos: Final days of the 2016 campaign Trump speaks at a campaign rally in Minneapolis on Sunday, November 6. Hide Caption 19 of 81 Photos: Final days of the 2016 campaign Trump supporters take photos in Minneapolis on November 6. Hide Caption 20 of 81 Photos: Final days of the 2016 campaign Trump addresses supporters in Minneapolis on November 6. Hide Caption 21 of 81 Photos: Final days of the 2016 campaign Clinton and NBA basketball player LeBron James wave to a crowd in Cleveland on November 6. Hide Caption 22 of 81 Photos: Final days of the 2016 campaign Clinton supporters hold signs in Cleveland on November 6. Hide Caption 23 of 81 Photos: Final days of the 2016 campaign Clinton boards her campaign plane in Cleveland on November 6. Hide Caption 24 of 81 Photos: Final days of the 2016 campaign A crowd lines up for a rally supporting Trump in Sioux City, Iowa, on November 6. Hide Caption 25 of 81 Photos: Final days of the 2016 campaign Clinton shakes hands with supporters during a rainstorm in Miami on Saturday, November 5. Hide Caption 26 of 81 Photos: Final days of the 2016 campaign Clinton supporters wait outside an early voting center in the predominantly Cuban-American neighborhood of West Miami, Florida, on November 5. Hide Caption 27 of 81 Photos: Final days of the 2016 campaign Trump and his wife, Melania, arrive at an airport rally in Wilmington, North Carolina, on November 5. Hide Caption 28 of 81 Photos: Final days of the 2016 campaign People climbed a wall to get a better view of Trump in Wilmington. Hide Caption 29 of 81 Photos: Final days of the 2016 campaign Trump attends a rally in Denver on November 5. Hide Caption 30 of 81 Photos: Final days of the 2016 campaign Singer Katy Perry shows off a coat reading "I'm With Madam President" during a Clinton event in Philadelphia on November 5. Hide Caption 31 of 81 Photos: Final days of the 2016 campaign Police guard a men's room where a protester was being held after he disrupted a Trump rally in Reno, Nevada, on November 5. Hide Caption 32 of 81 Photos: Final days of the 2016 campaign Police officers and Secret Service agents take a man away in handcuffs after the Reno disruption. Hide Caption 33 of 81 Photos: Final days of the 2016 campaign Members of the Secret Service rush Trump off the stage in Reno. Hide Caption 34 of 81 Photos: Final days of the 2016 campaign Children wait for the start of a Clinton rally in Detroit on Friday, November 4. Hide Caption 35 of 81 Photos: Final days of the 2016 campaign Supporters listen to Clinton in Detroit on November 4. Hide Caption 36 of 81 Photos: Final days of the 2016 campaign Clinton speaks at the rally in Detroit on November 4. Hide Caption 37 of 81 Photos: Final days of the 2016 campaign Clinton joins Beyonce and Jay Z on stage during a free concert in Cleveland on November 4. Hide Caption 38 of 81 Photos: Final days of the 2016 campaign Trump rallies supporters in Hershey, Pennsylvania, on November 4. Hide Caption 39 of 81 Photos: Final days of the 2016 campaign Trump campaign manager Kellyanne Conway waits backstage at a rally in Atkinson, New Hampshire, on November 4. Hide Caption 40 of 81 Photos: Final days of the 2016 campaign Ground crews await Trump's arrival for a rally in Wilmington, Ohio, on November 4. Hide Caption 41 of 81 Photos: Final days of the 2016 campaign Clinton, seen in a reflection, applauds as her former primary rival, U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders, campaigns for her in Raleigh, North Carolina, on Thursday, November 3. Hide Caption 42 of 81 Photos: Final days of the 2016 campaign Trump holds a rally in Selma, North Carolina, on November 3. Hide Caption 43 of 81 Photos: Final days of the 2016 campaign Trump speaks in Jacksonville, Florida, on November 3. Hide Caption 44 of 81 Photos: Final days of the 2016 campaign A young girl attends a Clinton rally in Las Vegas on Wednesday, November 2. Hide Caption 45 of 81 Photos: Final days of the 2016 campaign Trump addresses supporters in Pensacola, Florida, on November 2. Hide Caption 46 of 81 Photos: Final days of the 2016 campaign Trump gestures in Pensacola on November 2. Hide Caption 47 of 81 Photos: Final days of the 2016 campaign People attend a Clinton rally in Phoenix on November 2. Hide Caption 48 of 81 Photos: Final days of the 2016 campaign Clinton smiles as she greets supporters in Phoenix on November 2. Hide Caption 49 of 81 Photos: Final days of the 2016 campaign Clinton waves in Phoenix on November 2. Hide Caption 50 of 81 Photos: Final days of the 2016 campaign Clinton greets customers at a barbershop in North Las Vegas on November 2. Hide Caption 51 of 81 Photos: Final days of the 2016 campaign Trump appears at a rally in Orlando on November 2. Hide Caption 52 of 81 Photos: Final days of the 2016 campaign A banner flies overhead at a Trump rally in Orlando on November 2. Hide Caption 53 of 81 Photos: Final days of the 2016 campaign Clinton, right, and aide Huma Abedin stand aboard Clinton's campaign plane as they head to Cedar Rapids, Iowa, for a campaign rally on Friday, October 28. News broke during the flight that the FBI was reviewing new emails related to Clinton's personal server, bringing an issue they had assumed was behind them back into the campaign. The emails being examined were part of an investigation into former U.S. Rep. Anthony Weiner, Abedin's estranged husband, who is accused of sexting with a girl who was purportedly underage. On November 6, FBI Director James Comey told lawmakers that after reviewing the new emails, the agency stood by its opinion that Clinton should not face criminal charges. Hide Caption 54 of 81 Photos: Final days of the 2016 campaign Clinton addresses the media in Des Moines, Iowa, on October 28. She issued a statement about the latest FBI disclosure. "We are 11 days out from perhaps the most important national election of our lifetimes," she said. "Voting is already underway in our country. So the American people deserve to get the full and complete facts immediately." Hide Caption 55 of 81 Photos: Final days of the 2016 campaign Clinton speaks at her news conference on October 28. Hide Caption 56 of 81 Photos: Final days of the 2016 campaign Trump speaks at a campaign rally in Cedar Rapids on October 28. Hide Caption 57 of 81 Photos: Final days of the 2016 campaign Trump supporters attend a rally in Cedar Rapids on October 28. Hide Caption 58 of 81 Photos: Final days of the 2016 campaign Trump speaks at a campaign rally in Lisbon, Maine, on October 28. Hide Caption 59 of 81 Photos: Final days of the 2016 campaign Clinton speaks in Cedar Rapids on October 28. Hide Caption 60 of 81 Photos: Final days of the 2016 campaign Trump smiles at a rally in Manchester, New Hampshire, on October 28. Hide Caption 61 of 81 Photos: Final days of the 2016 campaign Clinton attends a homecoming pep rally at North Carolina A&T State University on Thursday, October 27. Hide Caption 62 of 81 Photos: Final days of the 2016 campaign First lady Michelle Obama hugs Clinton at a rally in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, on October 27. Hide Caption 63 of 81 Photos: Final days of the 2016 campaign A Clinton supporter takes a selfie at a campaign rally in Winston-Salem on October 27. Hide Caption 64 of 81 Photos: Final days of the 2016 campaign Trump gears up for a campaign rally at an airport in Sanford, Florida, on Tuesday, October 25. Hide Caption 65 of 81 Photos: Final days of the 2016 campaign Trump supporters cheer while waiting for the candidate's arrival in Sanford on October 25. Hide Caption 66 of 81 Photos: Final days of the 2016 campaign Clinton attends a rally in Coconut Creek, Florida, on October 25. Hide Caption 67 of 81 Photos: Final days of the 2016 campaign A shadow of Clinton's campaign plane is seen as the candidate prepares to land in Manchester, New Hampshire, on Monday, October 24. Hide Caption 68 of 81 Photos: Final days of the 2016 campaign Clinton, center, claps for US Sen. Elizabeth Warren at a rally in Manchester on October 24. Hide Caption 69 of 81 Photos: Final days of the 2016 campaign Clinton greets the crowd after the final presidential debate of the 2016 campaign. Hide Caption 70 of 81 Photos: Final days of the 2016 campaign Trump with his family following the debate. Hide Caption 71 of 81 Photos: Final days of the 2016 campaign Clinton and Trump at the end of the debate. Hide Caption 72 of 81 Photos: Final days of the 2016 campaign Clinton and Trump battled on several issues during the debate. Hide Caption 73 of 81 Photos: Final days of the 2016 campaign Trump greets supporters at a rally in Grand Junction, Colorado, on Tuesday, October 18. Hide Caption 74 of 81 Photos: Final days of the 2016 campaign Trump holds a rally in Green Bay, Wisconsin, on Monday, October 17. Hide Caption 75 of 81 Photos: Final days of the 2016 campaign Milwaukee County Sheriff David Clarke rails against the electoral system at the Trump rally in Green Bay. Clarke told the crowd, "It is pitchfork and torches time in America." Hide Caption 76 of 81 Photos: Final days of the 2016 campaign Trump speaks to supporters in Green Bay. Hide Caption 77 of 81 Photos: Final days of the 2016 campaign Clinton waves as she boards her campaign plane in Seattle on Friday, October 14. Hide Caption 78 of 81 Photos: Final days of the 2016 campaign The view from Clinton's campaign plane on October 14. Hide Caption 79 of 81 Photos: Final days of the 2016 campaign Clinton headlines a fundraiser in Seattle on October 14. Hide Caption 80 of 81 Photos: Final days of the 2016 campaign Clinton's campaign staff takes questions from the media on her plane in Seattle on October 14. Hide Caption 81 of 81

Anxiety among Democrats

Among Democrats, there is a palpable sense of intense anxiety about Clinton's prospects. Her campaign was rocked when FBI Director James Comey revived her email controversy, triggering growing concern that Trump could win.

"Every Democrat I know right now is checking the validity of their passports," CNN commentator Van Jones said Friday on "Erin Burnett OutFront."

For his part, Trump has shown remarkable discipline over the past week, further unnerving Democrats who are used to baiting him into a meltdown.

Conservative talk radio icon Rush Limbaugh crowed this week that "we have panic starting to set in in the Democrat Party and in the Drive-By Media."

On Friday, CNN modified its projected electoral map, for the first time putting Clinton's current total of electoral votes below the magic number of 270.

The Twitter account of David Plouffe, the former Obama election guru, has become a source of free therapy for nervous Democrats.

"Clinton path to 300+ rock solid. Structure of race not affected by Comey's reckless irresponsibility. Vote and volunteer, don't fret or wet," Plouffe tweeted on October 30.

Clinton path to 300+ rock solid. Structure of race not affected by Comey's reckless irresponsibility. Vote and volunteer, don't fret or wet — David Plouffe (@davidplouffe) October 30, 2016

One Democrat who is not panicking is Clinton herself.

"Here she is, the biggest event in the history of this country potentially and she's calm and collected. She's focused," billionaire and Clinton supporter Mark Cuban told reporters Friday. "I've been around situations when people are anxious. You see people choke. Look, she's confident. She's good."

Despite the tightening race, Clinton's campaign remains convinced that her advantage on the electoral map will hold and she will prevail on Tuesday. But that's unlikely to calm everybody down.

"Both Democrats and Republicans are really worked up," said Sam Wang, who runs the Princeton Election Consortium and questions whether the emotions whipped up by the race are justified by the facts of the election.

'Separate the drama from the data'

"In my own mind, I try to separate the drama from the data. Early this season, I noticed that no matter what happened, opinion didn't move that much," Wang said in an e-chat on CNN.com this week. "The race has shown less variation than ever in the history of presidential polling. It made me realize that the race probably wasn't going anywhere. But when was the last time a presidential race was this emotional?"

Photos: Donald Trump's rise Photos: Donald Trump's rise President-elect Donald Trump has been in the spotlight for years. From developing real estate and producing and starring in TV shows, he became a celebrity long before winning the White House. Hide Caption 1 of 37 Photos: Donald Trump's rise Trump at age 4. He was born in 1946 to Fred and Mary Trump in New York City. His father was a real estate developer. Hide Caption 2 of 37 Photos: Donald Trump's rise Trump, left, in a family photo. He was the second-youngest of five children. Hide Caption 3 of 37 Photos: Donald Trump's rise Trump, center, stands at attention during his senior year at the New York Military Academy in 1964. Hide Caption 4 of 37 Photos: Donald Trump's rise Trump, center, wears a baseball uniform at the New York Military Academy in 1964. After he graduated from the boarding school, he went to college. He started at Fordham University before transferring and later graduating from the Wharton School, the University of Pennsylvania's business school. Hide Caption 5 of 37 Photos: Donald Trump's rise Trump stands with Alfred Eisenpreis, New York's economic development administrator, in 1976 while they look at a sketch of a new 1,400-room renovation project of the Commodore Hotel. After graduating college in 1968, Trump worked with his father on developments in Queens and Brooklyn before purchasing or building multiple properties in New York and Atlantic City, New Jersey. Those properties included Trump Tower in New York and Trump Plaza and multiple casinos in Atlantic City. Hide Caption 6 of 37 Photos: Donald Trump's rise Trump attends an event to mark the start of construction of the New York Convention Center in 1979. Hide Caption 7 of 37 Photos: Donald Trump's rise Trump wears a hard hat at the Trump Tower construction site in New York in 1980. Hide Caption 8 of 37 Photos: Donald Trump's rise Trump was married to Ivana Zelnicek Trump from 1977 to 1990, when they divorced. They had three children together: Donald Jr., Ivanka and Eric. Hide Caption 9 of 37 Photos: Donald Trump's rise The Trump family, circa 1986. Hide Caption 10 of 37 Photos: Donald Trump's rise Trump uses his personal helicopter to get around New York in 1987. Hide Caption 11 of 37 Photos: Donald Trump's rise Trump stands in the atrium of the Trump Tower. Hide Caption 12 of 37 Photos: Donald Trump's rise Trump attends the opening of his new Atlantic City casino, the Taj Mahal, in 1989. Hide Caption 13 of 37 Photos: Donald Trump's rise Trump signs his second book, "Trump: Surviving at the Top," in 1990. Trump has published at least 16 other books, including "The Art of the Deal" and "The America We Deserve." Hide Caption 14 of 37 Photos: Donald Trump's rise Trump and singer Michael Jackson pose for a photo before traveling to visit Ryan White, a young child with AIDS, in 1990. Hide Caption 15 of 37 Photos: Donald Trump's rise Trump dips his second wife, Marla Maples, after the couple married in a private ceremony in New York in December 1993. The couple divorced in 1999 and had one daughter together, Tiffany. Hide Caption 16 of 37 Photos: Donald Trump's rise Trump putts a golf ball in his New York office in 1998. Hide Caption 17 of 37 Photos: Donald Trump's rise An advertisement for the television show "The Apprentice" hangs at Trump Tower in 2004. The show launched in January of that year. In January 2008, the show returned as "Celebrity Apprentice." Hide Caption 18 of 37 Photos: Donald Trump's rise A 12-inch talking Trump doll is on display at a toy store in New York in September 2004. Hide Caption 19 of 37 Photos: Donald Trump's rise Trump attends a news conference in 2005 that announced the establishment of Trump University. From 2005 until it closed in 2010, Trump University had about 10,000 people sign up for a program that promised success in real estate. Three separate lawsuits -- two class-action suits filed in California and one filed by New York's attorney general -- argued that the program was mired in fraud and deception. Trump's camp rejected the suits' claims as "baseless." And Trump has charged that the New York case against him is politically motivated. Hide Caption 20 of 37 Photos: Donald Trump's rise Trump attends the U.S. Open tennis tournament with his third wife, Melania Knauss-Trump, and their son, Barron, in 2006. Trump and Knauss married in 2005. Hide Caption 21 of 37 Photos: Donald Trump's rise Trump wrestles with "Stone Cold" Steve Austin at WrestleMania in 2007. Trump has close ties with the WWE and its CEO, Vince McMahon. Hide Caption 22 of 37 Photos: Donald Trump's rise For "The Apprentice," Trump was honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in January 2007. Hide Caption 23 of 37 Photos: Donald Trump's rise Trump appears on the set of "The Celebrity Apprentice" with two of his children -- Donald Jr. and Ivanka -- in 2009. Hide Caption 24 of 37 Photos: Donald Trump's rise Trump poses with Miss Universe contestants in 2011. Trump had been executive producer of the Miss Universe, Miss USA and Miss Teen USA pageants since 1996. Hide Caption 25 of 37 Photos: Donald Trump's rise In 2012, Trump announces his endorsement of Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney. Hide Caption 26 of 37 Photos: Donald Trump's rise Trump speaks in Sarasota, Florida, after accepting the Statesman of the Year Award at the Sarasota GOP dinner in August 2012. It was shortly before the Republican National Convention in nearby Tampa. Hide Caption 27 of 37 Photos: Donald Trump's rise Trump appears on stage with singer Nick Jonas and television personality Giuliana Rancic during the 2013 Miss USA pageant. Hide Caption 28 of 37 Photos: Donald Trump's rise In June 2015, during a speech from Trump Tower, Trump announced that he was running for President. He said he would give up "The Apprentice" to run. Hide Caption 29 of 37 Photos: Donald Trump's rise Trump -- flanked by U.S. Sens. Marco Rubio, left, and Ted Cruz -- speaks during a CNN debate in Miami on March 10. Trump dominated the GOP primaries and emerged as the presumptive nominee in May. Hide Caption 30 of 37 Photos: Donald Trump's rise The Trump family poses for a photo in New York in April. Hide Caption 31 of 37 Photos: Donald Trump's rise Trump speaks during a campaign event in Evansville, Indiana, on April 28. After Trump won the Indiana primary, his last two competitors dropped out of the GOP race. Hide Caption 32 of 37 Photos: Donald Trump's rise Trump delivers a speech at the Republican National Convention in July, accepting the party's nomination for President. "I have had a truly great life in business," he said. "But now, my sole and exclusive mission is to go to work for our country -- to go to work for you. It's time to deliver a victory for the American people." Hide Caption 33 of 37 Photos: Donald Trump's rise Trump faces Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton in the first presidential debate, which took place in Hempstead, New York, in September. Hide Caption 34 of 37 Photos: Donald Trump's rise Trump apologizes in a video, posted to his Twitter account in October, for vulgar and sexually aggressive remarks he made a decade ago regarding women. "I said it, I was wrong and I apologize," Trump said, referring to lewd comments he made during a previously unaired taping of "Access Hollywood." Multiple Republican leaders rescinded their endorsements of Trump after the footage was released. Hide Caption 35 of 37 Photos: Donald Trump's rise Trump walks on stage with his family after he was declared the election winner on November 9. "Ours was not a campaign, but rather, an incredible and great movement," he told his supporters in New York. Hide Caption 36 of 37 Photos: Donald Trump's rise Trump is joined by his family as he is sworn in as President on January 20. Hide Caption 37 of 37

Vietor agrees that the level of emotional involvement is out of whack with what has been an unusually stable race that has not been permanently shaken by even stunning events like Clinton's fainting spell in September or the release of an "Access Hollywood" tape in which Trump is heard making sexually aggressive remarks.

"It does feel like every day something is said or done that in another election would be a blockbuster or game changing story," Vietor said. But in this race, "it feels like the half life of any major story is five days."

The election was always going to be an emotional roller coaster, given the candidates.

In Clinton and Trump, their parties nominated the two candidates most guaranteed to cause the maximum amount of alienation on the other side.

Trump is so far outside the normal parameters of what is accepted behavior for a potential president, firing off conspiracy theories and outright falsehoods in his stump speeches, it is not surprising he rouses fierce emotions. The Republican nominee has deliberately stoked anger, grievances and grass roots fury, using demagogic techniques to power his anti-establishment campaign.

His presidency would in many ways be a leap into the unknown for America and the world -- so heightened concern is inevitable.

But Trump is not the only candidate who evokes strong feelings.

Polarizing personalities

For more than a quarter of a century, Clinton has been one of the most polarizing personalities in American politics. While Trump has gone further than most of her other critics in openly branding her a crook, the intensity of feeling towards her among conservatives is visceral.

The candidates are doing nothing to calm things down -- seeing raging emotions as a tool to get their base voters to the polls.

Photos: Hillary Clinton's life in the spotlight Photos: Hillary Clinton's life in the spotlight Hillary Clinton accepts the Democratic Party's nomination for president at the Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia on July 28, 2016. The former first lady, U.S. senator and secretary of state was the first woman to lead the presidential ticket of a major political party. Hide Caption 1 of 43 Photos: Hillary Clinton's life in the spotlight Before marrying Bill Clinton, she was Hillary Rodham. Here she attends Wellesley College in Massachusetts. Her commencement speech at Wellesley's graduation ceremony in 1969 attracted national attention. After graduating, she attended Yale Law School. Hide Caption 2 of 43 Photos: Hillary Clinton's life in the spotlight Rodham was a lawyer on the House Judiciary Committee, whose work led to impeachment charges against President Richard Nixon in 1974. Hide Caption 3 of 43 Photos: Hillary Clinton's life in the spotlight In 1975, Rodham married Bill Clinton, whom she met at Yale Law School. He became the governor of Arkansas in 1978. In 1980, the couple had a daughter, Chelsea. Hide Caption 4 of 43 Photos: Hillary Clinton's life in the spotlight Arkansas' first lady, now using the name Hillary Rodham Clinton, wears her inaugural ball gown in 1985. Hide Caption 5 of 43 Photos: Hillary Clinton's life in the spotlight The Clintons celebrate Bill's inauguration in Little Rock, Arkansas, in 1991. He was governor from 1983 to 1992, when he was elected President. Hide Caption 6 of 43 Photos: Hillary Clinton's life in the spotlight Bill Clinton comforts his wife on the set of "60 Minutes" after a stage light broke loose from the ceiling and knocked her down in January 1992. Hide Caption 7 of 43 Photos: Hillary Clinton's life in the spotlight In June 1992, Clinton uses a sewing machine designed to eliminate back and wrist strain. She had just given a speech at a convention of the International Ladies' Garment Workers Union. Hide Caption 8 of 43 Photos: Hillary Clinton's life in the spotlight During the 1992 presidential campaign, Clinton jokes with her husband's running mate, Al Gore, and Gore's wife, Tipper, aboard a campaign bus. Hide Caption 9 of 43 Photos: Hillary Clinton's life in the spotlight Clinton accompanies her husband as he takes the oath of office in January 1993. Hide Caption 10 of 43 Photos: Hillary Clinton's life in the spotlight The Clintons share a laugh on Capitol Hill in 1993. Hide Caption 11 of 43 Photos: Hillary Clinton's life in the spotlight Clinton unveils the renovated Blue Room of the White House in 1995. Hide Caption 12 of 43 Photos: Hillary Clinton's life in the spotlight Clinton waves to the media in January 1996 as she arrives for an appearance before a grand jury in Washington. The first lady was subpoenaed to testify as a witness in the investigation of the Whitewater land deal in Arkansas. The Clintons' business investment was investigated, but ultimately they were cleared of any wrongdoing. Hide Caption 13 of 43 Photos: Hillary Clinton's life in the spotlight The Clintons hug as Bill is sworn in for a second term as President. Hide Caption 14 of 43 Photos: Hillary Clinton's life in the spotlight The first lady holds up a Grammy Award, which she won for her audiobook "It Takes a Village" in 1997. Hide Caption 15 of 43 Photos: Hillary Clinton's life in the spotlight The Clintons dance on a beach in the U.S. Virgin Islands in January 1998. Later that month, Bill Clinton was accused of having a sexual relationship with former White House intern Monica Lewinsky. Hide Caption 16 of 43 Photos: Hillary Clinton's life in the spotlight Clinton looks on as her husband discusses the Monica Lewinsky scandal in the Roosevelt Room of the White House on January 26, 1998. Clinton declared, "I did not have sexual relations with that woman." In August of that year, Clinton testified before a grand jury and admitted to having "inappropriate intimate contact" with Lewinsky, but he said it did not constitute sexual relations because they had not had intercourse. He was impeached in December on charges of perjury and obstruction of justice. Hide Caption 17 of 43 Photos: Hillary Clinton's life in the spotlight The first family walks with their dog, Buddy, as they leave the White House for a vacation in August 1998. Hide Caption 18 of 43 Photos: Hillary Clinton's life in the spotlight President Clinton makes a statement at the White House in December 1998, thanking members of Congress who voted against his impeachment. The Senate trial ended with an acquittal in February 1999. Hide Caption 19 of 43 Photos: Hillary Clinton's life in the spotlight Clinton announces in February 2000 that she will seek the U.S. Senate seat in New York. She was elected later that year. Hide Caption 20 of 43 Photos: Hillary Clinton's life in the spotlight Clinton makes her first appearance on the Senate Environment and Natural Resources Committee. Hide Caption 21 of 43 Photos: Hillary Clinton's life in the spotlight Sen. Clinton comforts Maren Sarkarat, a woman who lost her husband in the September 11 terrorist attacks, during a ground-zero memorial in October 2001. Hide Caption 22 of 43 Photos: Hillary Clinton's life in the spotlight Clinton holds up her book "Living History" before a signing in Auburn Hills, Michigan, in 2003. Hide Caption 23 of 43 Photos: Hillary Clinton's life in the spotlight Clinton and another presidential hopeful, U.S. Sen. Barack Obama, applaud at the start of a Democratic debate in 2007. Hide Caption 24 of 43 Photos: Hillary Clinton's life in the spotlight Obama and Clinton talk on the plane on their way to a rally in Unity, New Hampshire, in June 2008. She had recently ended her presidential campaign and endorsed Obama. Hide Caption 25 of 43 Photos: Hillary Clinton's life in the spotlight Obama is flanked by Clinton and Vice President-elect Joe Biden at a news conference in Chicago in December 2008. He had designated Clinton to be his secretary of state. Hide Caption 26 of 43 Photos: Hillary Clinton's life in the spotlight Clinton, as secretary of state, greets Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin during a meeting just outside Moscow in March 2010. Hide Caption 27 of 43 Photos: Hillary Clinton's life in the spotlight The Clintons pose on the day of Chelsea's wedding to Marc Mezvinsky in July 2010. Hide Caption 28 of 43 Photos: Hillary Clinton's life in the spotlight In this photo provided by the White House, Obama, Clinton, Biden and other members of the national security team receive an update on the mission against Osama bin Laden in May 2011. Hide Caption 29 of 43 Photos: Hillary Clinton's life in the spotlight Clinton checks her Blackberry inside a military plane after leaving Malta in October 2011. In 2015, The New York Times reported that Clinton exclusively used a personal email account during her time as secretary of state. The account, fed through its own server, raises security and preservation concerns. Clinton later said she used a private domain out of "convenience," but admits in retrospect "it would have been better" to use multiple emails. Hide Caption 30 of 43 Photos: Hillary Clinton's life in the spotlight Clinton arrives for a group photo before a forum with the Gulf Cooperation Council in March 2012. The forum was held in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Hide Caption 31 of 43 Photos: Hillary Clinton's life in the spotlight Obama and Clinton bow during the transfer-of-remains ceremony marking the return of four Americans, including U.S. Ambassador Christopher Stevens, who were killed in Benghazi, Libya, in September 2012. Hide Caption 32 of 43 Photos: Hillary Clinton's life in the spotlight Clinton ducks after a woman threw a shoe at her while she was delivering remarks at a recycling trade conference in Las Vegas in 2014. Hide Caption 33 of 43 Photos: Hillary Clinton's life in the spotlight Clinton, now running for President again, performs with Jimmy Fallon during a "Tonight Show" skit in September 2015. Hide Caption 34 of 43 Photos: Hillary Clinton's life in the spotlight Clinton testifies about the Benghazi attack during a House committee meeting in October 2015. "I would imagine I have thought more about what happened than all of you put together," she said during the 11-hour hearing. "I have lost more sleep than all of you put together. I have been wracking my brain about what more could have been done or should have been done." Months earlier, Clinton had acknowledged a "systemic breakdown" as cited by an Accountability Review Board, and she said that her department was taking additional steps to increase security at U.S. diplomatic facilities. Hide Caption 35 of 43 Photos: Hillary Clinton's life in the spotlight U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders shares a lighthearted moment with Clinton during a Democratic presidential debate in October 2015. It came after Sanders gave his take on the Clinton email scandal. "The American people are sick and tired of hearing about the damn emails," Sanders said. "Enough of the emails. Let's talk about the real issues facing the United States of America." Hide Caption 36 of 43 Photos: Hillary Clinton's life in the spotlight Clinton is reflected in a teleprompter during a campaign rally in Alexandria, Virginia, in October 2015. Hide Caption 37 of 43 Photos: Hillary Clinton's life in the spotlight Clinton walks on her stage with her family after winning the New York primary in April. Hide Caption 38 of 43 Photos: Hillary Clinton's life in the spotlight After Clinton became the Democratic Party's presumptive nominee, this photo was posted to her official Twitter account. "To every little girl who dreams big: Yes, you can be anything you want -- even president," Clinton said. "Tonight is for you." Hide Caption 39 of 43 Photos: Hillary Clinton's life in the spotlight Obama hugs Clinton after he gave a speech at the Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia. The president said Clinton was ready to be commander in chief. "For four years, I had a front-row seat to her intelligence, her judgment and her discipline," he said, referring to her stint as his secretary of state. Hide Caption 40 of 43 Photos: Hillary Clinton's life in the spotlight Clinton arrives at a 9/11 commemoration ceremony in New York on September 11. Clinton, who was diagnosed with pneumonia two days before, left early after feeling ill. A video appeared to show her stumble as Secret Service agents helped her into a van. Hide Caption 41 of 43 Photos: Hillary Clinton's life in the spotlight Clinton addresses a campaign rally in Cleveland on November 6, two days before Election Day. She went on to lose Ohio -- and the election -- to her Republican opponent, Donald Trump. Hide Caption 42 of 43 Photos: Hillary Clinton's life in the spotlight After conceding the presidency to Trump in a phone call earlier, Clinton addresses supporters and campaign workers in New York on Wednesday, November 9. Her defeat marked a stunning end to a campaign that appeared poised to make her the first woman elected US president. Hide Caption 43 of 43

"I think this will be the last election if I don't win. I think this will be the last election that the Republicans have a chance of winning," Trump told David Brody of the Christian Broadcasting Network in September, warning Democrats would naturalize millions of illegal immigrants to swamp the voting rolls.

Clinton warns Trump could incite Armageddon.

"Think about what it would mean to entrust the nuclear codes to someone. with a very thin skin, who lashes out at anyone who challenges him," she said in Pittsburgh on Friday. "Imagine how easily it could be that Donald Trump would feel insulted and start a real war -- not just a Twitter war -- at three in the morning."

Obama went even further this week warning during a campaign trip, "the fate of the world is teetering and you, North Carolina, are going to have to make sure that we push it in the right direction."

Given the intensity of the feelings, it's unlikely that the fury stoked by this election will quickly dissipate after Tuesday. It will likely be a powerful force in shaping the presidency of whoever wins.

But one longtime Washington sage, Charlie Cook, has a message for a divided nation in his latest National Journal column: Take a breath.