With a bi-polar system there is no safety valve. In the UK we have Lib.Dems, Greens and even Reform for protest votes that can be seen to have significance. The allocation of electoral college votes is archaic. It could be argued that it has served the US for over 2 centuries, bot many see it as now obsolete. A bit like the Senate (or our House of Lords). Understandably there is a reluctance to change things, but this election in America could see a turning point. Trump has made it clear that tradition is only relevant when it suits him. If Harris wins she will need to consider the fallout from MAGA supporters.
America will probably never be the same again! Will Harris have to make concessions regarding trade tarriffs to appease the populist support Trump has garnered – or will Trump unleash a trade war on other trading blocs? He has said he will end the war in Gaza (quite how is hard to see!), and the Ukraine (easier – he forces Ukraine to cede territory to Russia). Will he reduce commitment to NATO? Americans were not keen to enter WW2 and have less affinity to Europe with Latino migration in recent years. His anti-migration rhetoric ws reduced last time, and America (or at least rich America) depends on migrants for cheap labour and menial tasks. And here we can see Sir Keir Starmer taking a lead in demanding a world coalition to combat unauthorised migration.