President Barack-et Obama

Right in the middle of the college basketball Madness that is March comes this article, courtesy of Fox News, which criticizes President Obama for taking time out of his busy schedule to fill out an NCAA tournament bracket while so many terrible things are going on both domestically and abroad.  Now, I don't want this post to be about politics: this certainly isn't a political blog (we certainly have enough of those . . .), and I'm not a very political person.  But I did feel like I should address this debate here on Caught Looking, especially after reading the last line of the article.

If he has any hope of re-election, or if more importantly, he hopes to solve our challenges, the President needs to forget his basketball picks and focus on the real March madness happening at home and abroad. Sadly, though, leadership is not a trait found in the faculty lounge.

Regardless of how you feel about the President (and I can't say I'm one of his fiercest supporters), if you're a sports fan you have to acknowledge how ridiculous this blurb, and the rest of the article, really is.  First off, just think about the logistics.  How long does it take to fill out an NCAA bracket?  Five minutes?  Ten?  It's not like Obama has suddenly turned into Joe Lunardi overnight.  This is something the President spends a few minutes on each year (assuming someone else doesn't fill it out for him), so saying that he should shift these precious minutes to solving the situations in Libya or Japan seems a bit crazy.

Let's say he did spent a little time on it, though.  Let's say it didn't affect his job performance (I'll give him the benefit of the doubt), but that he did use March Madness to clear his head, smile for a few minutes each day, and give himself an ever-so-brief opportunity to step back from everything going on around him.  What's so wrong with that?  One of the greatest parts about sports is their ability to temporarily distance us from the harsh realities of life.  On a macro level, sports helped us get over 9/11.  On a micro level, millions of people spend every day at jobs they don't like and dealing with bills they can't pay, and the only regular source of enjoyment they can find is flipping on the TV and watching a few minutes of a game.  Any sports fan can relate to that.  I just came off of a rough week of final exams, and you can be sure that the NCAA tournament helped get me through it.  Why should we think Obama is any different?

Yes, the President should be held to a higher standard than the rest of us, and of course he always will be.  Is he doing a great job as our Head of State?  Honestly, I don't know - that's so hard to say and, in my mind, not really worth debating.  But do I think the fact that he spends a few minutes on the NCAA bracket each year - connecting with "average" Americans and having a little fun in the process - is a reason to judge his dedication, committment or ability?  Please.