I spent most of the last week in Ohio to observe the Democrat and Republican primaries.

After visiting the campaigns for Secretary Clinton, Senator Sanders and Governor Kasich and attending a Trump rally here's what I learned about US politics.

1. Angry white men are, well, angry

The story of the primary campaigns, in both parties, has been about insurgency. The Democrat and Republican establishments have both seen the rise of candidates who according to their expectations - and the normal laws of politics - shouldn't be succeeding. Bernie Sanders is a self-proclaimed "socialist" who wasn't even a member of the Democrat Party until last year.

Donald Trump was a Democrat for a long time - a donor to, and supporter of, Hillary Clinton. Trump's modulation into a Republican started publicly when he supported the "birther" movement - those who believe that President Obama was born in Kenya rather than Hawaii. Privately it surely started when he realised that in the modern world celebrity confers authority. An authority which can be applied to politics as successfully as to any retail trade.

Sanders and Trump mobilise support amongst blue collar voters on the basis of their opposition to free trade and its effect on jobs. They surf an anger create by the economic dislocation of globalisation.

One that is focused on Mexico rather than China because while Chinese competition for goods has serious consequences for US business those are far less visible than the impact of wholesale relocation of factories. The economic change is exacerbated by the social change of increasing diversity and equality.

As one woman bluntly put it to me: "Angry white male racists support Trump, angry white male sexists support Sanders."

2. Trump rallies are more music hall than Mussolini

Donald Trump's rally in Cleveland last Saturday was held in the International Exposition Center - a hall so large it contains an indoor Ferris wheel. This was entirely appropriate as there is something of the carnival barker about Trump and his rallies have a feel of the Big Top. Trump plays himself as a larger than life ("uuge") character. His statements are sweeping - America will be great again, companies will onshore jobs, they'll build a wall and Mexico will pay. And sometimes they are surreal - the wall will have a door, "a great big beautiful door". When in doubt Trump starts a primitive call and response - he shouts "USA!" and the crowd keens back "USA! USA! USA!" Or he attacks Mexico - which depending on whether he threatens it or describes it merits cheers or booing.

3. And his supporters are polite

I took notes all through the Trump rally - there was just so much material. Part way through a young, bearded, tattooed man came up to me and asked me what I was doing. My heart sank. I felt I was in the middle of that Bill Hicks sketch. "What are you reading for?" - "looks like we've got ourselves a reader!"

So I said, "I'm a journalist from London and I'm going to be writing about the rally." "Come over here", he said, "And say that to my wife." Nervously I followed him and said: "Hi Tammy, my name is John and I'm a journalist from London." She laughed. Turned out she really loves Scottish accents. Don and Tammy then wished me well.

4. They are, though, confused

One veteran - I could tell he was one because he wore a T-shirt saying "Veteran" and, in case I missed that, a baseball cap that said Vietnam Veteran ("All Gave Some, Some Gave All") - spoke, or rather shouted, without taking a breath for over twenty minutes. Sometimes it was clear who he was talking to - at one point a twenty-something protestor whom he berated about the "assassination" of Robert "LaVoy" Finicum of the Oregon militia. Rambling on, he observed that this young, liberal demonstrator couldn't possibly be free because the government controls him. The proof? The young man had a birth certificate - surely libertarianism taken to its outer reaches.

Later the veteran just addressed the air in the general direction of a group of Black Lives Matters supporters I was talking to. The burden of his speech was simple - the deal Obama made with Iran was wrong. That was because "Iran is Islam" (I think he meant Islamic). And because Iran was Islam it would kill us because we weren't Islam, and it would kill all its own population because they were Islam. And it could because it was Iran and it was Islam. A novel approach to theological hegemony, as I didn't say to him.

5. Their concerns combine a populism of the left and right

The revolt against free trade is global. It unites Nigel Farage and Nicola Sturgeon, George Galloway, Jeremy Corbyn and Marine Le Pen - they all oppose TTIP (the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership - the free trade treaty proposed between the US and the EU). Trump and Sanders rail against the TPP (the Trans-Pacific Partnership - the Pacific Rim free trade area).

In the Trump crowd was a union member. You could tell because he was wearing a T-shirt that said "Organize or Die". A committed trade unionist of the sort you only rarely see even at Labour Party conference. Jim was from Carpenters' Union Local 69. His wife was an activist in the teachers' union the OEA (Ohio Education Association), whose HQ was home for the Hillary campaign in Columbus. They were at the rally to support Trump because of jobs. And because he is self-funding - he doesn't take money from lobbyists. Trump puts it like this: "The lobbyists can't get to me, I'm not going to take their call." He talks about "these really stupid people, they call themselves the elite" and condemns their "stupid trade deals".

He comes back to this line:

"The elite conservatives.

"They call themselves the elite.

"They're not elite like me.

"But I'm more like you."

And gets cheered to the rafters.

6. Culture wars are real

If Trump is a great howl of white working-class voters against globalisation there is also a broader right-wing culture war. One of the central targets is women's reproductive rights.

I met Cecile Richards, President of Planned Parenthood - the charity which provides contraception services and abortion. When she knew that I was from the UK she said: "Even your government ministers can't understand why this is all so controversial." The day she came to the Hillary Clinton campaign HQ in Cleveland it was packed. Cecile has some stardust but it was also an indication of how important this issue is as a mobiliser for Democrats.

It is a live issue for the right too. Democrats were doing some "visibility" campaigning for Hillary outside a fundraiser - basically waving "Hillary" banners and chanting. "When I say Madam, you say President!" "Madam!" "President!" "Madam!" "President!" "Madam!" "President!" All great fun, even in the drizzle. Cars tooted their horns. Drivers waved. Except for one lorry, plastered with posters of faked pictures of foetuses after partial abortions and slogans attacking Planned Parenthood. It drove up and down the road repeatedly. Then anti-abortion demonstrators came to walk up and down the pavement among us. Their posters said bluntly: "Hillary Clinton Supports Killi ng Children". When our crowd dispersed to go to the next event, the anti-abortion protestors stayed to picket Democrats coming to the fund-raising dinner in the Columbus Convention Center. As one well-dressed couple crossed the road, a demonstrator asked: "Do you support killing children?" "Get a life," barked back the Democrat.

From all this, what do I take?

First, Trump wins the Republican nomination. He is unstoppable. He is not merely riding a wave of anger and insurgency, he is also the expression of nearly 50 years of the Republicans playing politics with race. From the Southern strategy to the Willie Horton ad to "birther" attacks on President Obama, Republicans tried to ride the tiger - and now it is eating them.

Second, Clinton beats Sanders. Last Tuesday in the five Democrat primaries the party's supporters responded to the rise of Trump and decided to choose a candidate for President. Voting Sanders was sending a message to their party; voting Clinton was sending a message to the country.

Finally, Hillary wins. And that changes everything. Madam President changes America, but she symbolises change for every woman in the world. And that, more than the fun of the campaign fight and the pantomime of Trump is what makes this election the greatest show on earth.

Commentary by John McTernan, a writer, thinker, and political strategist. He has advised world leaders including Tony Blair and Australian prime minister Julia Gillard. You can follow him on Twitter at @johnmcternan.