How kids are seeing the election here. Raise your hand if you want Romney to die?

Today in my daughters classroom, they had a mock vote. When asked who will vote for Obama, everyone raised their hand except for my daughter and two other people. When asked why , the answers were, " because", or hes cool ,... when asked the reason why they did not like Romney, one kid said because he was born in Mexico, another person said because he is old, another said what if he dies .
Another person said if she looses her house, Obama will give her a new one twice as nice.

On the bus on the way home, One kid said raise your hand if you want Romney to die, and they all raised their hands except two...

I know these are kids, but it shows they have no education in an electoral process. There is no real reasoning why they give the answers they do. They seem, to just vote with other kids, because it is the popular thing to do .
I sure hope they grow up and learn what a responsibility it is to do your research, and not just do what is popular.

This scares me....

We teach our daughter history, about the voting process, and talk to her about the policies of what different people stand for. . Is this our future?

How old is your daughter, if you don't mind me asking?

Is it our future? No, it's our present. You told a story about kids, but the sad truth is a lot of adults treat it like a popularity contest as well. They don't like one guy so they vote for the other, who might be just as bad but doesn't seem it. Yet they can't tell you a single thing about their candidate's views.

That's why I love those videos when somebody goes up to a Romney supporter (for example) and lists a bunch of Obama's views but says they're Romney's, and asks if they agree. They always do, because it's extremely hard to find anybody at one of those rallies who has any idea what their candidate actually represents. They like their personality and vote based off of that.

Personally though I don't think it ever matters who wins. The same things are going to happen, it's just a matter of who they can blame now.

reply to post by amatrine


How old is she? That would explain everything!!!

Do you even have a kid..? I was an undecided voter until you posted this now my choice is clear cause I don't want to die!

Hello, My two daughters are 4 and 2. They are really too young to understand the voting process right now. My wife, my mother, who happens to live with us and myself have spent quite a bit of time lately trying to explain to the them what is going on during the lsadt few months concerning the election. We are teaching them that it is important to vote, but more importantly is to KNOW what you are voting for. They have seen me very disappointed when my candidate didn't win the nomination and it gave us a great opportunity to show them what fraud and deceit there exists in the political system. Maybe one day if all parents teach their children to be aware and to watch closely what is said and done by politicians we may finally have a system that is free of lies.

You have to realize that most of these kids are only parroting what their parents say or are going with the flow of the crowd.

Even your child does not have the critical thinking skills it requires to navigate the intricacies of politics and I'd be willing to bet that even your child is just repeating what they hear in the home.

We are a product of our environment and the best thing we can teach our kids to do is......be a kid.

Originally posted by amatrine
Today in my daughters classroom, they had a mock vote. When asked who will vote for Obama, everyone raised their hand except for my daughter and two other people. When asked why , the answers were, " because", or hes cool ,... when asked the reason why they did not like Romney, one kid said because he was born in Mexico, another person said because he is old, another said what if he dies .
Another person said if she looses her house, Obama will give her a new one twice as nice.

On the bus on the way home, One kid said raise your hand if you want Romney to die, and they all raised their hands except two...

I know these are kids, but it shows they have no education in an electoral process. There is no real reasoning why they give the answers they do. They seem, to just vote with other kids, because it is the popular thing to do .
I sure hope they grow up and learn what a responsibility it is to do your research, and not just do what is popular.

This scares me....

We teach our daughter history, about the voting process, and talk to her about the policies of what different people stand for. . Is this our future?

Because public schooling is no longer education--it is indoctrination.

To add a local note.. My son had a mock vote like this as well. He didn't get into more detail like you daughter did on the chat afterward but the end result was over 80% Obama.

I know I've said it before but I have absolutely no respect of any kind for ANYONE who uses children in political ways. None. Period. In 2008 they had the gall to send material home with the elementary school kids using wording beyond their literal comprehension level. It was blatantly obvious is was meant to be seen by us, his parents, and not him. He got the rah rah mmmm mmmm mmmm crap in class. The school heard about that one at about 100 decibels and for several minutes. More than ONE of them.

People who use kids in political ways are the lowest of the scum. About a half step above a child molester. Party, cause or reason makes NO difference. The ONLY exception is a cause for kids, about kids and dedicated TO kids. Anything else??? They're kids for God's sake. Let them be kids. They'll get the world of hateful politics soon enough.

reply to post by amatrine

They seem, to just vote with other kids, because it is the popular thing to do .
I sure hope they grow up and learn what a responsibility it is to do your research, and not just do what is popular.

Lol! Sorry no disrespect but this gave me a good laugh... Just look around at all the imbecile partisan bickering... Most voters have never grown up from the children you describe on the bus when it comes to politics they just do what is popular...

If they had grown up they most likely would not be voting at all as they would see the elections for the political theater that they are...

reply to post by amatrine


This happened to me in second grade. The nun had me stand, and totally tried to shame me, berate me, mock me because I didn't vote what she wanted.
Didn't work. The only think I learned was that people who put politics above humanity are assholes.

Originally posted by sheepslayer247
You have to realize that most of these kids are only parroting what their parents say or are going with the flow of the crowd.

Even your child does not have the critical thinking skills it requires to navigate the intricacies of politics and I'd be willing to bet that even your child is just repeating what they hear in the home.

We are a product of our environment and the best thing we can teach our kids to do is......be a kid.

Then if those kids are parroting their parents, dont you think thats a little concerning?

Would def explain the lack of knowledge on the part of voters in the US

I heard an adult say the same thing today, "I'm voting for Obama because he is cool!"

Geez almighty!

This is what happens when we keep lowering the bar just to make it "easier and more fair" for other people to succeed.
Trouble is, some of these people don't care to succeed, and as a result, end up bringing everyone else down to their level of standards.
Throw in a from the life is cheap/death culture into the mix, and this comes as no surprise.

I can't believe how many people are actually handling the voting process of this election the same way they would vote for their favorite American Idol.
It's more and more a popularity contest, and no longer about actual qualifications.

reply to post by amatrine


Those sound like the same reasons adults vote for a certain candidate.

Originally posted by ManBehindTheMask

Originally posted by sheepslayer247
You have to realize that most of these kids are only parroting what their parents say or are going with the flow of the crowd.

Even your child does not have the critical thinking skills it requires to navigate the intricacies of politics and I'd be willing to bet that even your child is just repeating what they hear in the home.

We are a product of our environment and the best thing we can teach our kids to do is......be a kid.

Then if those kids are parroting their parents, dont you think thats a little concerning?

Would def explain the lack of knowledge on the part of voters in the US

Kids learn all kinds of stuff from their parents. Everything from crappy politics, musical taste and how to treat your spouse. Us as parents are the single most influential person to our kids and we teach them all kinds of bad stuff.

So I find it normal that these kids are probably just repeating what they hear at home. What is concerning is that, yes, the parents are misinformed, but that goes for all of the political spectrum.

One side is not better than the other. But the kids are still picking-up on it.

Originally posted by amatrine

I know these are kids, but it shows they have no education in an electoral process. There is no real reasoning why they give the answers they do. They seem, to just vote with other kids, because it is the popular thing to do .

you said they are 2-4 years old - why on earth would you expect them to have any real reasoning at all at that age??!!

and yes I do have kids - 16 and 18...and real reasoning is still not quite there!!

Originally posted by amatrine
Today in my daughters classroom, they had a mock vote. When asked who will vote for Obama, everyone raised their hand except for my daughter and two other people.

This scares me....

We teach our daughter history, about the voting process, and talk to her about the policies of what different people stand for. . Is this our future?

Your main point would be so much more effective if you didn't mention that your daughter was one of the children that didn't raise their hand. This just sounds like you peddling how much "better" you are because you are "different" in this case.

Bottomline is they are children. They learn from their environment, be it in their house or from peers. Sometimes peer pressure plays a role and takes over despite them knowing better. Jane Elliot's sociological classroom experiment comes to mind, but I'm not sure if that's an exact example or comparison.

My wife and I voted today. We took our 7 year old hes been with us at every election since birth that includes local,state,primary,intern.congressional and senatorial election we have had in the last 7 years he likes getting the sticker. so this is what you can take from kids the sticker makes him wanna vote, to contrast that idea my wife said the sticker was why she voted too lol, We like politics not just presidential contests. I voted 2 dems 1 indy 1 republican today. My wife voted straight party line. We also voted on quite a few Judges and ton of State constitutional amendments. My son will say we helped little children if you ask him why he voted my state is trying to get rid of The Department Of Human Services
Elections matter its the Adults that Vote and kids listen to there parents cheer rant yell at the tv alot during elections and their not as stupid as some people like too think they pick up on things quickly so yes most children will parrot there parents because they look to there parents for answers in life.

My daughter is 12. She went against the grain, and did not do what all the other kids were doing. She was even telling her father to not vote for a certain super intend ant, because she wants to dissolve a bunch of our schools out here including the one she goes to. This person lives in another part of the county and is going to dissolve our
highest ranking elementary in the area, because it is rural... The other option is a school where there are drugs , fights, guns brought to school, and even a bomb last year..

She is in the gifted class and gets the best grades in her entire school, bar none. Next year she will be going into advanced classes... So she is informed,....she pays attention. She was very upset that Obama won . How many 12 year olds do you know that even care that much..

But to be on a bus and wish a president contender dead, is just wrong. This is our youth... Its gonna get worse


I am, not trying to say she is better than anyone, to previous poster, just proving a point that we need to inform our kids about the process and how things are done, and what they mean....