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Obama's Bracket: The Politics of Nope
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ShareMarch 20, 2008 4:16 PM
ABC News' Rick Klein, Karen Travers, and David Schoetz Report: In a truly historic development in disclosure from a presidential candidate, Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill., has released his NCAA Tournament bracket.
It is, in short, neither audacious nor hopeful. To Cinderella, it says, "No, we can't."
To view Obama's bracket click here.
For a man who purports to know his basketball, it is surprisingly free of unconventional picks. And he may have handed Sen. Hillary Clinton, D-N.Y., a potent electability argument: Can America trust a man who, when he picks up that phone at 3 am, does not select a single 5-12 upset?
Bottom line: This is the bracket of a cautious politician who is not immune to political pandering.
First, the early rounds. Obama chooses a total of five first-round upsets, out of 32 games, with the boldest choice being No. 13 Winthrop advancing over over No. 4 Washington State (clearly thanking the voters of South Carolina, who launched his campaign into the stratosphere).
But then he has none of his low seeds advancing another round; in fact, he's predicting only one upset in the entire 16 games of the second round. Does that say, "Yes, we can?"
He even eschews a trendy choice by taking No. 3 Wisconsin over No. 6 University of Southern California in the Midwest region. (By the way, Obama carried Wisconsin and was beat soundly in California -- sensing a trend?)
Then there's his Final Four: Kansas, UCLA, North Carolina, and Pittsburgh. That's three No. 1's and one No. 4.
The Jayhawks? His mom was born in Kansas -- easy call.
Pittsburgh -- come on, Pittsburgh? Is anyone paying attention to the Pennsylvania primary? He has the Panthers beating Stanford to get to San Antonio -- thanks again for nothing, California.
He breaks his no-California rule by choosing UCLA, but who doesn't have UCLA going to the Final Four?
And to win it all, he picks the University of North Carolina. North Carolina, you may recall, votes on May 6, and while taking the Tar Heels may be writing off the Duke vote, that's the effete liberal cohort that's already in his camp. (And loyalty has its limits: Obama's body man, Reggie Love, won a national championship with Duke in 2001, but this is not as bad as Rudy Giuliani rooting for the Red Sox.)
Politics trumps all: UNC fans are clearly the white working-class favorite -- Obama's demographic challenge.
This is not a bracket we believe in.
UPDATE: Politico's Ben Smith e-mails to point out that choosing Pittsburgh was a flip-flop: Obama told a North Carolina radio station Thursday morning that he would be choosing Stanford OVER Pittsburgh to get to the Final Four. So he was against Pittsburgh before he was for it?
Rick Klein, ABCNews.com's senior political reporter, writes The Note every morning exclusively for ABCNews.com
March 20, 2008 in Kucinich, Dennis, Tancredo, Tom | Permalink | User Comments (70)
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I think he missed a big opportunity when he didn't give Indiana even one upset. That's going to come back to haunt him in May.
Posted by: Howard | Mar 20, 2008 5:42:00 PM
Politics of NOPE sounds more like his attitude towards the voters of Michigan and Florida than basketball to me.
Posted by: s.b. | Mar 20, 2008 5:42:22 PM
Slow news day??
Posted by: markymark | Mar 20, 2008 5:43:10 PM
what in the world does this have to do with Politics and why is it here?
Posted by: Louis | Mar 20, 2008 6:17:09 PM
bag the billster
so you give us a URL for a Barama site
and expect to get the TRUTH?????
are you bloody out of your mind?
maybe your "name" is really
"bagger of bilge".
Posted by: questioner | Mar 20, 2008 7:01:51 PM
Ok. Let's do it.
Barack vs Hillary in basketball.
Winner takes all.
OOPs, sorry.
Hillary breaks the rules. Calls foul.
Plays the victim.
What will the refs do?
Posted by: JB | Mar 20, 2008 7:13:11 PM
Out of a 3 minutes sound bite by Jeremiah Wright the last minute or so is completely ignored or conveniently overlooked which is:
"Ah, I am so glad I have a God who knows what it is to be a poor black man in a country, in a culture, that is control by and run by rich white people. He taught me, Jesus did, how to love my enemies. He taught me how to love the hell out of mine enemies."
When the conservatives were pushing George Bush we on us we were told,"God is bringing damnation on American i.e. 9/11 because of the innocent blood of the unborn in the abortion clinics. This is what the white churches were saying, I know I sat in one.
Religious leaders are very demonstrative in the illustrations, and it is frustrating to hear this one sided view point on JEREMIAH WRIGHT.
Posted by: THINK | Mar 20, 2008 7:38:31 PM
Out of a 3 minutes sound bite by Jeremiah Wright the last minute or so is completely ignored or conveniently overlooked which is:
"Ah, I am so glad I have a God who knows what it is to be a poor black man in a country, in a culture, that is control by and run by rich white people. He taught me, Jesus did, how to love my enemies. He taught me how to love the hell out of mine enemies."
When the conservatives were pushing George Bush we on us we were told,"God is bringing damnation on American i.e. 9/11 because of the innocent blood of the unborn in the abortion clinics. This is what the white churches were saying, I know I sat in one.
Religious leaders are very demonstrative in the illustrations, and it is frustrating to hear this one sided view point on JEREMIAH WRIGHT.
Posted by: THINK | Mar 20, 2008 7:38:34 PM
Last time I checked, ABC News' Rick Klein, Karen Travers, and David Schoetz were working as journalists! I guess it must be the March Madness (Or Spring Break perhaps).
Posted by: Akshay | Mar 20, 2008 7:40:07 PM
Out of a 3 minutes sound bite by Jeremiah Wright the last minute or so is completely ignored or conveniently overlooked which is:
"Ah, I am so glad I have a God who knows what it is to be a poor black man in a country, in a culture, that is control by and run by rich white people. He taught me, Jesus did, how to love my enemies. He taught me how to love the hell out of mine enemies."
When the conservatives were pushing George Bush on us we were told,"God is bringing damnation on American i.e. 9/11 because of the innocent blood of the unborn in the abortion clinics. This is what the white churches were saying, I know I sat in one.
Religious leaders are very demonstrative in the illustrations, and it is frustrating to hear this one sided view point on JEREMIAH WRIGHT.
Posted by: THINK | Mar 20, 2008 7:41:06 PM
Only a desperate one will try to make political capital out of what is purely humour and sport. Obama is showing that there are other things other than political gamemanship
Posted by: Winchesterlad | Mar 20, 2008 7:43:16 PM
Obama supporters pack it up. Your man is
affraid to run in a big state. What is he afraid of, winning or losing? If he
wins one of these states the nomination
is his to lose. No vote in Michigan and
Florida then the superdelegates should
declare all previous wins as "winner
takes all". See how much of Obama leads
stand up. It would still be Hillary all
the way. By the way only Hillary was
born here. Neither Obama nor MCCain was
born here. Should the superdelegates be
reminded of this fact or we should
remind Howard Dean? This Obama nonsense
is going on for too long. Obama believes
in disenfranchisement of Florida voterss
that voted in large numbers for Hillary,
he gets the nomination, prevents our
candidate from winning the nomination,
then we the disenfranchised hillary
voters turn around and vote for him in
November? Did Hillary voters only
attended Sunday School all of a sudden?
No florida vote count no Obama support.
We just stay home in Florida and
Michigan and watch MCCain cream Obama
Posted by: Fitzroy | Mar 20, 2008 8:09:28 PM
Stupid.
Posted by: Marilyn | Mar 20, 2008 8:24:27 PM
OBAMA IS DONE...NO MATTER WHAT HE WILL NOT WIN THE GENERAL ELECTION...THEN HE CAN GO BACK TO ILLINOIS AND HIDE HIS HEAD IN SHAME.
And yea, I used caps..suck it up big boy/whiners.
Posted by: Josh | Mar 20, 2008 8:29:55 PM
ABC NEWS DID ANOTHER HIT JOB ON OBAMA.
I WONDER WHY? IS IT IN THE INTEREST OF THE AMERICAN PEOPLE. THINK ABOUT IT !
ABC= FOX NEWS
Posted by: jj | Mar 20, 2008 8:40:32 PM
Sheesh, what a bunch of humorless drudges here. Step away from your computers for a nanosecond and open a window. Look outside. Massage your brows and take a deep breath. When was the last time you smiled about anything that wasn't cruel?
Posted by: R Johnson | Mar 20, 2008 8:50:23 PM
ABC I am completely astounded that you make basketball a political issue. A new low for you. What next? Does he buy a Shick razor or a Gillette?
Posted by: 1962ottumwa | Mar 20, 2008 9:10:04 PM
If ABC pays you three $7/hr then they are getting ripped off.
Posted by: 1962ottumwa | Mar 20, 2008 9:16:20 PM
R Johnson: I did as you instructed. It was an ok experience. As to your question, it is one of those loaded ones that I do not believe in answering-- you know, like, "When was the last time you got off your high horse?" or "Are you with me, or with the terrorists?" Just empty rhetorical tricks that do not impress me. But you know what else doesn't impress me (real question)? Sporlitical buffoonery like this article, which makes readers like you tell me to massage my brows-- but as I said, that was an ok experience, so thanks for the instructions. I really don't have any for you. Sorry.
Posted by: Sinclair | Mar 20, 2008 9:49:46 PM
Grasping at straws!
What a pathetic attempt to attack him!
Posted by: Kate | Mar 20, 2008 9:53:31 PM
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