Published: October 12, 2008 01:26 am            

DODD: A child’s intuition in the 2008 presidential election

Many people have followed the results of the Gallup Poll, The Rasmussen Poll, or the NBC/Wall Street Journal Poll in trying to figure out who will be the next President of the United States. I took my own poll of some third graders at Jonathan Jennings Elementary School in Charlestown. Thanks to Principal Adrienne Bach and teachers; Beth Day, Amy Short and Rebecca DeCamp, I now have the expert picks including some editorial comments made by the students.

The most common reason they found to vote for Obama was that he is smart, cool and nice. The most common reason to vote for McCain was that he says the Pledge of Allegiance, is also nice, and has been a Senator for a long time. My statistically laughable poll of 56 third graders resulted in a result that goes against recent national polling trends; John McCain: 57 percent, Barack Obama: 43 percent. I will include their edited but uncorrected versions (except where clarification is needed);

Steven Delaney might have to call Alec Baldwin for solace if things don’t go his way: “I know he would make a great President. If John McCain doesn’t make President, I don’t know what I would do.”

I will just let you read Nayely Nieta’s entry and see if you can guess what traits she thinks the next President needs to possess: “Because he is a brave man he can be president of the U.S.A. A president has to be brave and strong. John McCain is strong and brave. So John McCain should win.”

Natalie Lowe sees a sense of entitlement for the job for one candidate and asks that age old question to voters: “I believe he deserves to be President. Out of the two Senators Barack Obama deserves it. Are you in good hands?”

Justin Johnson just thinks it his candidate’s turn- “Barack Obama is a good Senator. Barack Obama has never been the President of the U.S.A.”

For Iasaiah Watkins it’s pretty short and matter of fact: “I think Barack Obama shud (should) be the next President of the United States and he is smarter than John McCain.”

Mason Tucker thinks manners are more important than say, spelling: “I vote for Barak Obama because he was plight (polite) when thay wher talking.”

Aaron Meyer is using that old tried and true lesser of two evils voting method:“I think the next President of the United States should be Barak Obama. I think that I won’t like John McCain that much.”

Garrett Burke has already figured out politician’s campaign strategies at an early age: “I think John McCain should be President of the United States. I pick him because I honestly think Barak Obama is trying to think of stuff to say to get votes from people. ”

Ethan Hartsfield has studied Obama’s economic plan and doesn’t buy the lower prices is always better political gimmick: “I think John McCain should be president because if Barack Obama is president he would lower gas prices casing (causing) less jobs for most Americans.”

I wonder if Dubya picked up one of those tabloid magazines on his way out when Chad Berry’s friends sighted him: “John McCain because I think he would be a nice president and maybe I could see him some time so my friends seen are (our) president that we got right now at the grocery store JC’s and (I) was surprised when they told me that!”

Jolee Lynch disagrees with Ethan Hartsfield’s economic analysis and is stealing that Barack Obama slogan for her guy McCain: “I think John McCain should be President and hears why. Number one he wants to lower gas prices to. John McCain wants to change the U.S.A.”

Layton (no last name given) appears to be practicing what I might call reverse ageism: “I think John McCain is smart and Barack Obama is not smart and hes not old unoft (enough) to be president. Old people should be president.”

Ethnicity did play a part in some responses as three students wanted the first black president and another was pretty straightforward that McCain should win as, “He’s the best that’s white.” The biggest thing I noticed from doing this poll with the same age group for the last two elections was how third-graders knew some of the major issues of the day. Not one child this year referred to abortion, gay marriage, or Purple Hearts as were brought up by other third-grade classes in responses during the Bush-Kerry election. Several kids mentioned gas prices, age, and either that McCain did or that Obama did not do the Pledge the Allegiance in this year’s comments.

It almost makes me wonder, where do they hear such things?



Lindon Dodd is an Otisco resident who is a freelance writer and can be reached at lindon.dodd@hotmail.com.

        

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