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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Talk about a non-issue

I have to confess. My initial reaction to learning that Rep. Joe Walsh, R-Ill., will not be in Tampa, Fla., next month to attend the Republican National Convention was something along the lines of, “Who cares?”

WALSH: Passing on Tampa, Fla.



Perhaps it is because I view Walsh (as in the one who can’t play a guitar worth squat) as a no-name political hack, I just can’t envision that anybody is going to miss him when the Republicans gather from across the country to officially make Mitt Romney their political party’s presidential nominee.

YET WALSH WENT out of his way to try to make it sound like the American public would be deprived of his presence by not showing up at the nominating convention.

Which makes me wonder if it is really the party leadership that would rather not be bothered with him and his nitwit ways. Causing Walsh to uninvite himself before he could officially be dumped from the roster of people welcome at the convention.

Officially, Walsh is not part of the Illinois delegation that is required to be present (unlike his Democratic challenger, Tammy Duckworth, who will be an official part of her political party’s gathering in Charlotte, N.C.).

But incumbent congressmen are never turned away. They are encouraged to show up and join the political  gathering, which can also help them make even more contacts that will help them with the fundraising that boosts their chances of victory.

WALSH IS MAKING statements claiming he wants to show his independence of such people, claiming it will make it appear as though he’s a real person – instead of a political hack!

In fact, there probably are a few individuals who will want to believe such a ridiculous line of logic. Then again, these are the people who are so intimidated by the concept of government that they rant and rage against it.

These few crackpots, so to speak, already are inclined to vote for Walsh. All he’s doing is ensuring that his minority (as in numbers of people, not types of people) will show up and vote for him come Nov. 6.

Which means he may increase by 1 or 2 percent his share of the vote, making his eventual electoral defeat just slightly closer than it would be if he were to show up in Tampa.

BECAUSE WHAT WE’D see if Walsh were to show up at his party’s convention is just how out-of-touch he is with people who are serious about governing. The ones who are more interested in coming to consensus on issues.

The ones who appreciate just how stupid and irrational it is for ideologues to prevent any solution from occurring just because one wants to score partisan political points for themselves.

Even if they, in a truly offensive manner, use labels from our history to try to grant greater credibility upon themselves. Tea Party, my tuchus!

If anything, Walsh would find himself rather lonely if he were to venture down to Florida. He’d find that many of his alleged political allies wouldn’t want to be seen standing too close to him. Perhaps even those who have ever worn a military uniform.

SO PERHAPS HIS ego is less likely to be shattered if he stays in the newly-drawn boundaries of the Illinois Eighth Congressional District.

He can pick out a crowd or two of people who will chant on command for him and make him feel like he is special. Then again, that is all that any of the events he now does amount to. Staged chatter from people who will cheer him on and not listen all too closely when he starts sounding like a borderline loon.

In fact, I can already envision Walsh chanting over and over, to boost his own ego, “I am, somebody.”

I’d be willing to bet that none of the people who would show up at a Walsh event would have ever heard the Rev. Jesse Jackson, who uses that line all the time to boost the egos of those people around him.

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