I’m listening to Hillary Rodham Clinton and Bernie Sanders “debate” each other as I write this blog post.

My takeaway is this: These two individuals are sounding more and more like their Republican colleagues.

Now it sounds as if all five presidential candidates are holding their opponents with seemingly equal amounts of contempt.

It must be true that “familiarity breeds contempt” if you compare the tone and tenor of Clinton’s and Sanders’s remarks to the nicey-nicey tone of their initial debate appearances.

Who’s winning this latest tussle? That beats the heck out of me. I’ve already stated my view that Sanders’s one-note sermon has gotten old and, frankly, boring. Clinton’s own message — such as it is — relies on her mantra that she’s able to “get things done.”

The two Democrats, though, have sharpened their attacks on each in a way that ought to make the Republicans envious.

I will add only that the Republicans managed to turn their disagreements into late-night comics’ joke material. The remaining Democratic candidate at least are disagreeing with each other on policy statements.

But, man oh man. They have unsheathed the long knives.

I’ve been talking about how much I expect to have watching the Republicans cut each other up at their convention this summer in Cleveland. I’m beginning based on what I’ve heard tonight to think — based on what I’ve heard tonight — that the Democratic convention in Philadelphia might rival the GOP bloodbath in its own fun factor.