My first reaction to Barack Obama's now widely known -- and dissected -- NCAA picks:  "He is out of his mind if he thinks Pitt is going to the Final Four."

Still, on the face of it, the "Baracket" is clearly the work of an astute college hoops fan -- and a candidate who happens to be embroiled in a tight battle for the Democratic nomination. The choices are stylish, if a little safe (not unlike the man himself), and his upset picks feature teams from the next two major primary battlegrounds, Pennsylvania and North Carolina. While Davidson (from North Carolina) over Gonzaga (Washington state) is a popular pick among the NCAA-prognosticating set (Obama, of course, already won the Washington primary on February 19), St. Joe's (Philadelphia) over Oklahoma is not one I have seen.

Then there is the punishing of Ohio for handing a March 4 victory to Hillary Clinton in the form of Duke (North Carolina again) over Cincinnati-based Xavier, and the thumping of Texas (UT out in the Sweet Sixteen?); the shout out to David Geffen and the senator's Hollywood donors (UCLA all the way to the finals!); and the nod to the ancestral homeland (Kansas, needless to say, must make the Final Four). Meanwhile, taking Pittsburgh to go to the Final Four is a near certain bracket buster, but one that is sure to please voters in western Pennsylvania. In fact, an impressive geographical diversity courses through Obama's Final Four brackets. (50-state strategy, anyone?)

But, in the end, political expediency wins out as UNC sails to the national championship in San Antonio. (Obama on 6-foot-9 power forward Tyler Hansbrough: "That's a big boy, there.") The question remains: Will Tar Heel voters reward the senator's loyalty on May 6? --SAM ERICKSON

READ MORE
Slideshow: Annie Leibovitz photographs Barack Obama
How Pulitzer Prize-winner Samantha Power joined Obama's inner circle