Oct. 19, 2004. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)
Posted on 10/20/2004 1:59:43 AM PDT by Cincinatus' Wife
SPRING HILL - Arianna Medina hadn't given much thought to the presidential election until she joined roughly 50 million other Americans who tuned in to the debates between President Bush and Sen. John Kerry.
That's when she noticed something a bit disquieting and unpresidential about the incumbent.
"Bush would get really nervous and would start twitching," Medina said, shortly after casting a vote for Kerry.
Unfortunately for the Massachusetts Senator, Medina's vote won't get him any closer to the Oval Office.
Medina, 10, and her fellow students at Deltona Elementary School each received a taste of the democratic process Wednesday when they cast their ballots in the school's second mock presidential election.
In the end, Bush won with 473 votes, compared to Kerry's 365. But teachers called the exercise more important than the results.
"Not only do the kids get the experience of voting, but they get to go home and say, 'I voted,'" said Diane Alt, media specialist at Deltona Elementary. "And the kids know more than I would ever have expected."
Alt organized the school's first mock election in 2000, with the hope of sparking the kids' interest in national politics. Like the national election, the roughly 1000 ballots cast by the students were almost evenly split between George W. Bush and Al Gore, although Gore squeaked out a victory.
But the biggest and most encouraging difference between the school's 2000 mock election and this year's is that the students seem more opinionated and better informed, Alt said.
"I think the kids are more aware of the candidates and they have opinions," Alt said.
Apparently the rancor and passion surrounding this year's presidential race has rubbed off on the Hernando County's elementary school students.
Jillian Diaz, 10, pointed to Bush's religious faith as the reason she voted to re-elect.
"He's a Christian, and I am too," Diaz said.
She said she considered Kerry's purported religious faith to be somewhat phony, citing a speech in which the Senator called 'John 16:3' his favorite Bible verse, when he intended to say John 3:16.
"It made him look stupid," said Diaz.
Karina Sim, 11, went with Kerry, criticizing the President for fudging facts during the debates and for invading Iraq.
"Bush said a lot of things that weren't true," Sim said. "And he's killing our soldiers."
Of course, students offered a range of other, less analytical, reasons for choosing a candidate.
"I just don't like Kerry," declared 10-year-old Robert Reyes. Asked for a reason, the boy thought for a moment, then replied, "because he freaks me out."
Glenny Gonzalez said she supported Kerry because the president had lied to the American people. She added, "I like Kerry's name, too."
smart kids...nice to see the Teachers Union lose
Oh what the heck--let's just let them vote too.
Out of the mouths of babe's...thanks for the post
Pray that the smart ones don't get brainwashed by our Publik Skook System later on.
Pray that the ones who "Voted" for Bush won't get brainwashed by our Publik Skool System later on.
That about says it all!
And thus President Bush wins.
When my then 5 year old son was in kindergarten a couple of years ago, somehow the topic of President Bush came up between him and a girl classmate. He told me the story later that night. The classmate told my son, "George Bush! He's an evil man" My son replied, "He's not evil! He's a Republican!" He had such righteous indignation in his voice when he was telling the story. I was so proud of him for sticking up for the President.
You noticed that a so called "reporter" asked the boy why Kerry freaks him out, but yet no reporter asked that girl exactly what were Bush's lies? I know. I know this was an elementary school straw poll, but even the rats reporters were allowed to challenge that one student slamming Kerry. If you want to show your class something, if nothing at all, show them the ways the media bends over backwards for certain political parties. You can start with Dan Rather, ABC Political News Director and ask your favorite VC program (night night line).
He is pretty freaky. Was he speaking in French yesterday? I kept hearing something weird on Hugh Hewitt's show being replayed over and over but couldn't listen long enough to get the whole story.
Bless your heart, son. Me too...
The truth of Kerry in a nutshell. . .I hope more people have the eyes of this ten-year old, when they prepare to cast their vote.
Indeed. Fewer children left behind. No wonder the Libs hate it.
Good point. . .and your conclusion.
It takes the innocence and simplicity of a child to see the truth quite well.
The indignation is funny! Reminds me of when I went to vote in NYC once,deep in dem country.
An old woman checking names looked up at me and screeched 'democrat?'
My warm smile vanished and I indignantly responded 'PLEASE!' as to say 'oh goodness, how could you say such a thing?' It was real funny, though the row of provincial NYCers on line didn't care for my putdown of their ilk! ;-)
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