Rivals' political leanings don't extend to tournament strategy.
Via: espn.go.com
For the fifth straight year, President Obama has filled out a special presidential version of a March Madness bracket on his own big board. Last year, Obama's pick (North Carolina) only made it to the Elite Eight, and he's apparently reacted to that letdown by going extremely conservative. Across the aisle, a potential 2016 candidate for his job, Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida, has also filled out a bracket. (Obama's Republican counterpart has a tougher job, politically speaking, in that his loyalties are divided in a Florida-heavy NCAA field.) Rubio's picks are more (dare we say) progressive-thinking. Here's a closer look:
Obama's infatuated with higher seeds.
Looking at Obama's Sweet Sixteen selections, he's only got one non-top 4 seed making it through, that being No. 5 Wisconsin out of the West region. He's even feeling good about teams like No. 4 Saint Louis (Midwest) and No. 3 New Mexico (West) which haven't faced the same level of competition as the bigger schools.
Via: whitehouse.gov
But his swing-state mentality is still evident.
The president is bullish on No. 4 Michigan knocking off No. 1 Kansas in the South region, though the Wolverines didn't exactly end the season on the best of notes. It's a pick that makes little sense, though an always-volatile Michigan unemployment rate may be to blame.
Meanwhile, he also has No. 2 Ohio State defeating No. 5 Wisconsin to make the Final Four. Backing the Buckeyes means pushing through a team from Ohio (the swingiest of swing states) and also getting to stick it to Rep. Paul Ryan (R-Wisc.) one more time.
Image by Jeff Haynes / Reuters