Time magazine's traditional exclusive reveal of its Person of the Year on the Today show fell a bit flat this morning, as the magazine's managing editor told the nation what everyone already knew on Nov. 5: the 2008 person of the year is Barack Obama.

Time, which has a knack for snarking off observers with some of its mind-bending leaps to avoid POY predictability, had to admit that the nation's first non-white president, elected as winner of one of the most-watched elections in history, deserved the spot.

Even so, the magazine's managing editor admitted they thought about giving POY status to the American Voter for choosing Obama or the economy for making his victory possible (if they thought the blowback on their knuckleheaded choice of "You" a few years ago was bad, imagine if they'd gone with any of those awful notions).

Still, what would you expect from a magazine whose editors insist the POY designation isn't an honor, while acting as if it's the news junkie's equivalent of white smoke at the Vatican? Fortunately, Obama's victory was singular in so many ways, they had to eventually accede to the tide of history.

Some of the runners-up may be head scratchers as well -- Sarah Palin only at No. 4? The guy who choreographed the Olympics opening ceremony at No. 5?  But lists like these are mostly designed to spark lots of discussion and media mentions like this one, so I guess these guys have done their jobs.

Read more details here. And bask in one of biggest examples of the Obama honeymoon we're likely to see before the inauguration.   

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