Distractions, distractions!

Maybe it’s a sign from “God” that the presidential nominating conventions being held these days are ignorable.

More interesting than Mitt?

But it strikes me as ironic that the news cycles are offering us alternate stories that take away from the attention that the political parties would like us to be paying to their conventions that are meant to get the public all stirred up with excitement about the prospects of voting for either President Barack Obama or Republican challenger Mitt Romney.

FOR ROMNEY, HE had to compete with the coverage given to Hurricane Isaac – which might not have been as intense as the Hurricane Katrina that whacked New Orleans seven years ago.

But it did enough damage in New Orleans and Mississippi that the focus of the nation rightfully so wasn’t on the activity in Tampa, Fla.

Even if Clint Eastwood did his oddball rambling on behalf of the Romney campaign, real people were more interested in the way that people in the south were coping with the rains – which actually managed to work its way up to the Midwestern U.S. this past weekend to give us possibly the heaviest rainfall we’ve seen all summer.

It got so bad that Romney had to arrange his post-convention schedule to include an appearance in New Orleans on Friday, making it appear as though he was concerned about the damage and rehearsing for the day when he is president and has to prepare to issue a federal disaster declaration.

NOT THAT DEMOCRATIC Party partisans should be gloating at the loss of attention the Republicans suffered. Because they’re going to get hit with their own “hurricane” in the form of Drew Peterson.

Peterson, of course, is the suburban Chicago cop whose trial for murder of his third wife (wife four is still missing, as well) likely will wrap up this week.

PETERSON: Beats out Barack?



Peterson’s attorneys put on their defense last week, following just over two weeks of evidence (including all the hearsay testimony about what the dead and/or missing women would have said if they could be here with us) from the prosecution.

There won’t be any activity at the Will County courthouse on Monday. But Tuesday will be the day for closing arguments (State’s Attorney James Glasgow plans to make the final statement himself).

THEN, IT’S UP to the jury – the one that seems to like to dress alike. Perhaps that is a sign of unity.

I’d like to think that this case is straight-forward enough that deliberations could be over by Wednesday. Which would put it at the heart of the Democratic National Convention’s activity.

But why do I suspect that this jury will take a couple of full days? If that happens, we could very well have a verdict on Thursday – the day that Obama himself is supposed to speak at the convention, accept nomination for a second term as president, and deliver an “inspirational” speech that will make we, the American people, eager to vote for him again.

Unless, of course, the jury returns the verdict the same day.

IN WHICH CASE, dateline “JOLIET, Ill.” will supplant that of “CHARLOTTE, N.C.” as the top story of the news.

Barack Obama will get bumped off the front pages of newspapers, and the top spot of the websites affiliated with those publications, by a tawdry tale of a middle-aged cop with a thing for young girls.

Be honest! A Peterson verdict, whether “guilty” or “not guilty,” is going to draw more interest among many people than an Obama speech – no matter how eloquent it turns out to be.

Would Obama literally have to deviate his schedule to make an appearance in Joliet at the courthouse to offer his thoughts in order to force his face back into the public eye?

THAT MIGHT SAY more about we, the public, and our interests (or lack thereof).

Perhaps if it were a real “Act of God,” the almighty would give us enough of an intelligence jolt so we’d have a broader attention span.

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