Unfortunately, 'election day' invariably is 'a bad day' in the US. As a thought experiment, remove California and New York from the USA, along with all the citizens who would leave with them if they knew it was that or stay behind forever in the remaining 48.

What do those remaining 48, their voters and political representatives have to offer the world? How low down a league table of 'civilised countries' would they be? On a par with Turkey or Brazil, maybe? Given that the USA's healthcare provision and gun control alone, as approved by both Democratic and Republican voters of all 50 states election after election as the chosen American way, would be sufficient to qualify for developing world/failed state standard.

I think there's a lot of wishful thinking around the globe and in the USA as to what the country really represents. I'm also from a country that has a completely unrealistic self-image, a toxic past, dubious present and uncertain future, and a psychotic inability to reconcile itself to its position in the world. I think the USA suffers a lot of the same problems, in different forms and for different reasons, but just as damagingly.