The Greatest Show on Earth
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Now that the Final Four's over, it's back to politics to entertain.
The Politico's "50 Greatest Political Moments," including the Pentagon Papers, that unfortunate Dukakis-in-a-tank photo, and "one of the most devastating sound bites in modern campaign history: 'I actually did vote for the $87 billion before I voted against it.'"
The Economist, meanwhile, is apparently tired of keeping a straight face: The magazine has teamed up with Chicago's Second City for "The Art of Political Satire."
And, in what may be the goofiest trend piece of the day, the New York Times examines the supposed power of the youth vote. Hint: It's trending Obama:
While politicians inevitably invoke children and the future, rarely have the political preferences of children themselves carried much weight with their elders. On the contrary: when baby boomer parents were the age their children are now, the ideological and social gap between generations was more pronounced. Parents were, by definition, authoritarian. Their children were, by definition, anti-.
But the sharp distinctions between generations have eroded. Parents now are exponentially more entwined with their offspring, inclined to place their children's emotional well-being ahead of their own. Even when students live away at college, many parents call them and send text messages every day..
For some waffling primary voters, the relentless push by their children was good enough reason to capitulate. Eager to encourage their offspring's latest enthusiasm, they have been willing to toss up their hands and vote for Mr. Obama, if only to impress their children.
"Tell your mama to vote for Obama" is pretty catchy, but will it stick? The Times thinks so: "A lot of parents are a little afraid of their kids," a Harvard psychologist tells the paper.
Yikes.

