This really isn't an excuse anymore.
Pence can't act with impunity if he works with a Congress willing to impeach/remove his predecessor. He wouldn't be able to get anything done.
They really aren't willing to impeach and remove his predecessor though. The dems *still* aren't willing to back up the talk and make impeachment a real platform to run on during these next elections.
I wouldn't consider it an excuse at all. I'd take a clusterfukk and stark example of "this is why you should give a fukk about voting" than people being overjoyed at defeating evil, parading in the streets, and thinking the battle is over now that Trump is gone. That's exactly what'll happen because it happens each time a political leader is ousted. Once the honeymoon is over people will be looking around wondering why they can't own land anymore.
The thing is all the distraction is what allows trump to get sh!t done unimpeded, the only thing it didn't work for was healthcare and thats because he would affectively kill millions of white people with his sh!tty plan...
I wouldn't consider it a distraction as much as it is people being easy to over stimulate in general. Trump isn't the one making news networks cover bullshyt 24/7 while all kinds of other things are happening in the world. That's just how media is fed in general now.
Also, a 'distraction' means a coordinated endeavor and there's no real efficient successes to show for it. There's a few here and there, but given how the right has firm control over a lot right now - there should be way,
way more getting done. Not comical shutdowns and a ridiculous turnover rate of staffers.
So I can't call it a distraction. Its fukkery combined with a general growing American complacency to not follow up and ask for more.
I'm all for a change, but not if Pence is next. Just because you don't hear about him like that doesn't mean he's some empty suit....