Posted on 10/14/2008 4:56:39 PM PDT by GraniteStateConservative
It's official. At least for the kids! The Scholastic Presidential Election Poll results are in: Democratic nominee Senator Barack Obama won with 57 percent of the vote, to 39 percent for Republican nominee Senator John McCain.
The poll was open to kids from grades 1 to 12 in Scholastic News and Junior Scholastic magazines. Almost 250,000 (a quarter of a million) kids voted by paper ballot or online at www.scholastic.com/news. The poll closed on October 10.
Since 1940, the results of the student vote have mirrored the outcome of the general election all but twice: In 1948, kids voted for Thomas E. Dewey over Harry S. Truman. In 1960, more students voted for Richard M. Nixon than for John F. Kennedy. In 2000, a majority of student voters chose George W. Bush, mirroring the Electoral College result, but not the result of the popular vote.
Obama and McCain weren't the only vote getters. Four percent of the students voted for other people like comedian Stephen Colbert, and entertainers Miley Cyrus, and the Jonas Brothers. It was the highest percent of write-in votes in the history of the poll. Some even voted for themselves. Most of the write-in votes —11 percent of the 4 percent—were for Senator Hillary Clinton.
So why is a kid poll important? And does it mean anything come November 4? Kid Reporter Lya Ferreyra knows.
"Not only does [voting in the] poll give kids the experience they will need to vote in the future, but it allows them to have input on who should be the next President of the United States," she said. "It gives kids a voice, which is important, but we won't know the actual outcome until November 4. No one can predict that."
Ferreyra and this reporter both appeared on numerous news programs this week to announce the poll results.
Results from key swing states are as follows:
| Colorado: | McCain 61% | Obama 36% | Other 3% |
| Florida: | McCain 41% | Obama 55% | Other 4% |
| Indiana: | McCain 51% | Obama 47% | Other 2% |
| Iowa: | McCain 48% | Obama 49% | Other 3% |
| Michigan: | McCain 40% | Obama 57% | Other 3% |
| Missouri: |
McCain 49% |
Obama 47% | Other 4% |
| Ohio: |
McCain 47% |
Obama 51% | Other 2% |
| Pennsylvania: |
McCain 46% |
Obama 50% |
Other 4% |
Jack Greenberg is a member of the Scholastic Kids Press Corps.
It has ever been thus.
My bad!
I read somewhere many years ago that Nixon won the popular vote (I have a book somewhere that says the same thing). After its response, I did a mini research and it seems that what I read & my book are wrong.
Never mind.
Not familiar with this poll, and assume it’s different from The “Weekly Reader” presidential vote. That one is usually very accurate. From their site:
“On Wednesday, October 29, Zogby and Weekly Reader will jointly announce the winner. That’s less than a week before the actual presidential election occurs.
How accurate have Weekly Reader voters been lately? Well, over the past three elections the kids have been perfect. In 1996 they picked Bill Clinton, and in 2000 and 2004 they voted for George W. Bush. Both men went on to win the White House in November.”
http://www.weeklyreader.com/wys/vote.asp
That’s the one to watch for: October 29th.
No, every poll is not wrong. McCain is behind, but not by 14 points and not by 7 points.
What posters have noted though is that this previously innocent poll of 6-13year olds has suddenly seen it’s rules change after 60 plus years. It now includes a significant portion of people who are not nearly as likely to reflect their parents’ opinion.
I wonder if they give details like that. I’d like to see what the traditional composition of 1st-8th graders said.
I think this poll may have jumped the shark with the new demographic included. There’s no way McCain is that far ahead in Colorado. And, there’s no way Obama gets close to 57% total.
Please don’t take my comments out of context and then criticize them.
Whoah, that “online” part is new from the last time isn’t it?
I smell a rat.
They've been doing it online since 2000. This would be the third time they've done it that way, then.
See: Student Voters Pick Senator Barack Obama to Win 2008 Presidential Election(^) (CNN)
Since 1940, the results of the student vote in the Scholastic Election Poll (online voting was added in 2000)...
Perfect picture for the Scholastic polling.
And???????
BTTT
(sorry...I couldn’t resist) :)
Guys, it has only been wrong twice.
Still, it’s a kids poll, and I think it will be wrong this year with the kids all excited about Obama.
Great catch.
Apparently this new poll now goes up to high school, where the old Scholastic polls stopped at grade 8.
This means more kids are voting with their feelings than what they hear at home.
That should be comforting.
I had a cold!
Ok..you’re forgiven.
And only half the kids from before. 250K instead of 500K, and that is with four more grades! It should have been way more then last time.
Who did they get rid of?
Lots of southern and rural kids I bet!
I would love to see the internals on this and compare to 2004.
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