This might be an unpopular opinion, but I love it when political figures release March Madness brackets.
I thought it was fun when President Barack Obama turned it into a tradition, and I still enjoy it now. It’s a fun little glimpse of personality. But of course it’s also political.
Gov. Josh Stein and former Gov. Roy Cooper, now running for U.S. Senate, both went through the exercise this year. And both of their brackets were bad enough to require comment.
The mistake was treating this like a points contest. That’s not what a public bracket is for. Nobody cares whether the governor can outsmart America in the round of 32. The point is to be fun, a little relatable, and at least somewhat rooted in the state you govern.
You don’t have to turn in a parody and send every North Carolina team to the Final Four. But you should give the home teams a little extra juice.
That’s the sweet spot. Good enough to look credible. Booster enough to befit the chief salesman of the state of North Carolina. …
