Any chance that Democrats have of capitalizing on controversies at the Republican National Convention have been severely limited, writes Brian Karem for Salon, in large part because the ongoing Democratic Party panic and bid to push President Joe Biden out of the race is continuing to consume all the oxygen.
"The Republican freak show has gathered in Milwaukee this week to canonize and coronate Donald Trump, fresh off his felony conviction and a recent assassination attempt," wrote Karem. "While there you can purchase your favorite Trump T-shirt, or for just $29.99 you can purchase one with Trump and buddy Jesus smiling together. For little more than that you can buy a mug, a baseball cap, or perhaps some pajamas for your child. For those who like a live WWE event, Trump appeared with an odd-looking square bandage on his ear at the beginning of week, prompting true believers to weep, faint and praise gawd for Trump being saved by 'divine intervention.'"
The media, he wrote, "can’t handle this mess. We don’t know how to do so." And so they are treating all of this as normal, with The New York Times writing an analysis "like a movie review."
ALSO READ: Trump and God: Religion raises the stakes at Republican convention
Little wonder, then, he wrote, why it's so much easier to fill the void with discussion of ongoing palace intrigue against Biden, best exemplified by Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) and former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) pushing for his exit.
"Watching the Democrats cannibalize themselves while running around like zombies with their hair on fire is cringe-worthy entertainment but not surprising," wrote Karem. "Watching it play out in real time in the midst of terrible climate problems, growing international unrest, and price gouging by international corporations is like reading the prelude to any dystopian science fiction masterpiece."
Ultimately, he concluded, both parties appear to be doing everything in their power to lose this fall.
"What will remain this fall is anyone’s guess. But right now, if you like watching a dystopian nightmare, pull up a chair and grab some popcorn," he wrote.