first take on the DNC

The Democratic National Convention is now under way, and it's already a shit-show. This listicle piece over at The Atlantic, while flippant in tone, gives a blow-by-blow of how the DNC began, noting its first major casualty, Debbie Wasserman Schultz, congresswoman (D-FL23) and chair of the Democratic National Committee. Schultz has been a powerful force both in front of the cameras and behind the scenes, and now, thanks to a WikiLeaks email scandal that likely has Russian backing, she's been ushered off the stage to a loud chorus of boos. The over 20,000 leaked emails revealed that Schultz and others had indeed been doing what everyone had long suspected: gaming the electoral system to put Hillary Clinton at the top of the bracket. Bernie Sanders, her nearest rival for nomination, has been crying foul for months; WikiLeaks now gives wings to his accusations.

That said, The Atlantic also notes:

Eventually, Clinton likely will regain control of her convention. Like in Cleveland, the desire to defeat a hated enemy will overcome internal differences. The blues will line up against the reds, Wall Street will support both teams, Clinton will win in November, and the status quo will declare victory over change. Populist unrest will broaden and intensify.

Or Trump will win. He won’t keep his promises, because he never does. He won’t make America any greater than it already is. He might make it worse. The status quo will declare victory over change. Populist unrest will broaden and intensify.

For the moment, though, the barbarians are in control, and the DNC is a mess (except, from what I hear, for Michelle Obama's rousing pro-Clinton address*). Day One has pretty much been wasted. My fear is that there's going to be significant violence such as wasn't seen during the Republican National Convention. I hope I'm wrong.

---

*Over at Instapundit is a reminder of when Michelle Obama attacked Hillary Clinton during the 2008 election.