Obama watches March Madness unfold

The television is on in the White House.

President Barack Obama is sitting in the presidential residence with his feet up, relaxing and enjoying some good, old-fashioned entertainment.

A bag of popcorn, or maybe it’s chips, is positioned in the crook of his arm. Advisers and family come in and out, glancing at the television for an update before moving on, leaving Obama to his own little time of enjoyment.

Points are exchanged from one team to the next. Every time the lead changes, Obama looks at his own paperwork, seeing how well he predicted what is currently becoming reality in front of him.

Although he most certainly has preferences, it doesn’t really matter to him who wins and who loses.

The real fun is in following each group and seeing who makes another look silly, who comes out victorious and who will eventually gain the national notoriety.

Yes, Obama is watching March Madness.

But it most definitely isn’t basketball that is on television. It isn’t colleges that are entertaining the president with each point and press conference. And it definitely isn’t a shot at cutting down a net that is making Obama so comfortable in his residence.

It’s the Republican primaries.

While Kentucky, Louisville, Ohio State and Kansas all make bids for the National Championship, Mitt Romney, Rick Santorum, Ron Paul and Newt Gingrich are their own version of the Final Four.

The stakes might be a little higher, but Obama is sitting pretty on both (although his Final Four is looking a little off).

The points being scored are percentages, with one candidate gaining a few points of support while another loses a few.

It isn’t lead changes on the court, but rather one candidate taking the likelihood of a bid while another drops out of contention.

With each lead change, though, Obama just gets a little stronger. With every jab that one candidate makes against another, Obama just gets a little more comfortable on his residential couch. With both of the varieties of Madness, Obama is getting a good laugh out of the deal.

The more that the Republicans fumble around and fight one another, the easier it gets for the incumbent to sweep in and keep his position in the coming year.

The Madness of this month could very easily divide the GOP to the point of fracture and make Obama’s fairly large control of his own party all the more decisive in the final tally.

­— azoot@indiana.edu