Wow. In the course of one mild spring, the United States of America has become a third-world political peep show, complete with dancing bears, human cannon balls and back-room deals brokering cease-fire deals between local gangs. All we are missing is blatant nepotism and straw hat bribes — oh wait, we have those too!

First, a personal thank-you note to the DNC. Go Hillary and Go Bernie! I am genuinely gratified that you two are representing the progressive movement in this country. With the civil war (well, maybe the un-civil war) going on in conservative camp this season, any truly viable candidates in the Democrat Party would be at the tailors getting measured for their inauguration suit. Thank you, thank you!

Now a personal note to the GOP old guard, establishment pundits and political hangers-on that so love the sound of their own voices. Back off and let the political system work! It’s time for you to review that old yellowing document that starts out “We the People.” As pundits you are free to support whomever your heart tells you to support. From your bully pulpits you are free to ladle out vitriol or praise as your conscience demands. But don’t EVER presume to tell the good folks out here in flyover country how to think!

Like most old guardsman, I cringe at the thought of a Donald Trump presidency. In my world view, this is a crude man running a crude campaign. I still hope that Providence and circumstance will expose a better path. BUT, in the end, it all boils down to the folks out there in Littletown USA. They hold the reigns and that’s the way it should be!

I have faith that We the People will choose the right person to represent this party in 2016. Rank-and-file Republicans are true conservatives (unlike many card-carrying oligarchy). They are true believers and a good deal more knowledgeable and sophisticated than you beltway hacks give them credit for. I may not personally agree with their choice, but you can bet I’ll learn to live with it.

And they are frustrated and angry. Who can blame them? They toed the line and backed the GOP blessed in 2010, 2012 and 2014. Gilded and gift wrapped, they handed the establishment both houses of Congress and the keys to the national treasury. It gained them not one darn thing. The economy is still bouncing along the bottom of a slow flowing stream, the southern border is as open as it has ever been, and the progressive-in-chief spends his swan-song days creating new regulations via executive decree. You establishment badge-holders are lucky no one has lit the hot tar pot and rolled out a barrel full of feathers. I seriously wouldn’t test fate further by letting this lame duck seat a Supreme Court judge.

I’m an historic Romney fan. He is a good decent man who had a clean path to the White House in 2012 but lost his way with an inexplicably awful campaign. The ghost of Barry Goldwater should have been able to run away with that election. Yesterday, representing a panicked establishment, Mitt Romney made the political mistake of the century.

Establishment hacks prompting Romney to hold this ill-conceived news conference have just handed Donald Trump the keys to kingdom. Tens of thousands of new age and frustrated old school Trump supporters will likely ride this slight all the way to the nomination. Worse, it may well have propelled another Clinton into public housing! What a colossal misstep. If Mitt had spent his camera time praising Rubio instead of trashing Trump, the damage would have been less — but even that kind of transparent spin-fest would have helped Trump.

What part of this open-frame debate are you guys not getting? It’s usually the left-wing of the Democrat Party that gets addicted to its own cool-aid. Don’t drink that stuff — it can blind you!

In my lay opinion, the only possible way out of this short-sighted disaster is to convince Rubio (who I tend to support) and Kasich to immediately suspend their campaigns and throw their full support behind Ted Cruz. Promise them whatever it takes to get them to swallow their pride and exit stage left. What a tough pill to swallow. The old school establishment hates Cruz nearly as much as they hate Trump!

Just remember — you guys made this bed — I, for one, just became a supporter. Please ship me some TrusTed yard signs.