John Kasich

Susan J. Demas: Why primaries are the death of humor

What is it about primaries that drive people crazy?

Sure, there’s the theory that “politics makes us stupid,” as Vox’s Ezra Klein put it -- i.e. the more information partisans receive on an issue, the more that ends up reinforcing their previous position.

But I would suggest that presidential primaries are the death of humor. If you don’t believe me, you may have made the wise choice to stay off social media for the last 18 months.

There’s always going to be that one “friend” who responds to any post -- photos of your kids, the death of a relative -- with a monologue about their favored candidate, typically ending with #FeeltheBern or #MakeAmericaGreatAgain.

You should probably unfriend that person immediately.

Susan J. Demas: In Michigan, Trump actually played second fiddle to Sanders

Bernie Sanders managed to steal the spotlight from Donald Trump last week -- and not just in “Saturday Night Live” skits.

Sanders began drawing screaming crowds last year, not unlike Trump (though without the violence), but his rallies have barely been a blip in TV coverage. In contrast, Trump’s events have been regularly carried live on cable news, which already awarded him wildly disproportionate coverage for his stunts of the week (insulting Fox News host Megyn Kelly, refusing to debate, savaging “Little Marco” Rubio, etc.).

But Michigan changed all that -- at least for a night. Sanders’ stunning, poll-defying win in the Democratic primary grabbed all the headlines on March 8, handing Trump the unfamiliar status of second billing.