Consequences.
If Clinton wins, things will continue more or less along the same route it's already on, rich get richer poor get poorer big business grins and poor families weep.
If Trump wins, one way or the other a whole lot more of actual American lives will get much, much worse.
Since at this point voting any other way will do exactly squat for this election it seems a very clear vote.
Normally elections are (as South Park hilariously noted) Giant Douche vs Turd Sandwich. But, this election, is between Giant Douche and the fucking KKK. Not that extreme you say? Look at a Trump rally. ANY Trump rally. What do you think the more aggressive, racist, and homophobic types from those rallies will do once their racism, homophobia, and other socially reprehensible traits become represented at the Presidential level? I'd bet my white, male, privileged ass that I'll start hearing 'nigger' and 'spic' and other racial slurs start to become more common at the very least. And the violence against homosexuals, minorities, etc? Yeah, pretty much guaranteed to escalate.
I'm trying to understand. I really am. I agree with you that the characters themselves are more for show than anything. That does not make them unimportant.