First of all, I just have to say: This has been the most interesting election cycle I've ever experienced. 

Nobody can say we didn't have a choice this year. 

On the Republican side, there were 17 candidates to start; the Democratics had a bunch to start as well, but only four or five had any name recognition.

Now we're down to three -- Donald Trump, Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders.  The pundits and party leaders were caught completely by surprise that the angry populists --Trump and Sanders -- did so well. 

I really wasn't surprised.  If you ever read the comments section below articles on newspaper websites -- and I confess, I do this from time to time, sometimes for an hour at a time -- it's exceedingly clear there are a LOT of really angry people out there.

I think they have a RIGHT to be angry. 

The establishment politicians from both sides did a lot in recent decades to lose jobs, get bogged down in wars nobody really seemed to want to win and then argue incessantly about everything to the point very little got done. 

I think the system needs a little shaking up and, because of this, I think both Donald Trump AND Bernie Sanders deserve a lot of credit for finally forcing us, as a nation, to confront some ugly truths. 

Of coure our immigration system is broken; yes, the middle class has been gutted; college students are being crushed by debt; clearly too many of our candidates are in it for the money -- campaign contributions while getting elected, speech fees and consulting jobs once out of office. 

Hillary seems like "more of the same," I think she is more vulnerable than most seem to think.  Time will tell.  Nothing stays put for long in this race, that's for sure.

But I really don't get why so many Republicans are rising up to try and stop Trump -- or vowing to not support him.  Would they really rather see Hillary Clinton in the White House?  Maybe they would, because they figure Hillary won't change the game too much.  They like the game the way it is. 

Andrew Jackson and Teddy Roosevelt were populists.  Many think they got a lot done and spoke for the real people out there.  Abe Lincoln was nobody's first pick for candidate and the South seceded soon after his election.  We know praise him as perhaps the greatest of all.  JFK was a Catholic and therefore unelectable; Ronald Reagan was "just an actor" and therefore not one to be taken seriously.

The pundits often get it wrong.  And this year they've been more wrong than ever. 

I think Trump is definitely the high-risk, high potential reward -- or potential disaster -- candidate.  Nobody wants a disaster.  Many really do want to make America great again. Maybe he could pull that off.

I think people should let this play out more before driving any stakes into the ground.  He could evolve as a candidate, maybe Hillary will falter.  Bernie might still have a role to play.

If the Republicans really wanted a predictable, well-mannered centrist, they had that in Jeb Bush.  But they didn't.  The people have spoken, and if we believe in democracy, we need to honor their wishes. 

If somehow some other Republican slips in at the last moment, that will convince many once and for all this really is a rigged system.

Could a third party get launched at this late date?  My practical side thinks no, but that would make this fascinating race that much more mind-blowing.   I wish Bloomberg had done it, but he didn't.

Some Republicans are talking about making such a move; the one who might still surprise is Bernie Sanders. 

Even if Hillary gets the nomination, she owes Bernie a lot for forcing her to better understand the anger and discomfort that's now obvious to all.  It's clear Trump and Sanders understood this all along.  It's time for the establishment to wake up.

I for one am loving this election cycle, people are really talking.  Let's stay tuned and watch how this all unfolds.