Final Cut

It's the time of year when the rosters of your favorite team are getting set to face the upcoming season. There's always a mix of fresh faces along with a number of wily veterans. Egos are inflated and crushed with the stroke of a pen. Stars are made and broken. All for a chance to win in January. Or November.
This year, presidential politics have taken on the tenor of professional football. With his selection of Joe Biden for his running mate via text message, Barack Obama has transported us all into the twenty-first century, reality-TV version of campaigning. Just as there are a lot of first round draft picks who eventually end up being nothing more than a trivia question, I'm sure there were a number of big-name Democrats who sat on the edge of their beds watching their cell phones in the middle of the night, holding out hope that that their name would show up on that little screen when the bell rang. I wonder if there were conciliatory messages sent to Virginia Governor Tim Kaine and Indiana Senator Evan Bayh: "Sore U Cnt B R VP."
Still, it will be interesting to see how John McCain moves to match his opponent's pick. Obama chose age and experience to counter his relative youth and fresh ideas. Who in the GOP has the "fresh legs" needed to support the Straight Talk Express? Still, in the end, it seems that this is all a lot of fuss generated about a guy who will probably end up carrying a clipboard most of the season.