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18 Comments
Kids' Vote Announced: Obama wins Scholastic News election poll
News Type: Event — Seeded on Tue Oct 14, 2008 8:41 AM EDT
Article Source: Scholastic News Onlineadvertisement
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.
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- Public Discussion (17)
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{"commentId":3473466,"authorDomain":"alfie-omega"}
I saw this on the Today show this morning so I just had to look it up. I remember Scholastic Books when I was in school but never knew they did a kids vote during the election years. It was kind of interesting to hear on the show (and to read in the article) that the kids, since 1940, have only gotten it wrong twice. Matt Lauer asked one of the kid reporters, I think that was what he was, if this was a reflection of the parents or of the kid's own opinions and the kid said it was both. It will be interesting to see if they are right this year as well.
I'm glad to see that children are being involved in this at an early age as, in my opinion, this brings them up to want to continue to vote once they are out of school. Keep it up Scholastic Books!
{"commentId":3473466,"threadId":"387967","contentId":"1996232","authorDomain":"alfie-omega"}
- 8 votes
#1 - Tue Oct 14, 2008 8:48 AM EDT{"commentId":3476325,"authorDomain":"softfacts"}
I dispute the validity of these results given that children were not allowed to vote for the Independent ticket of Pikachu/Squarepants.
{"commentId":3476325,"threadId":"387967","contentId":"1996232","authorDomain":"softfacts"}
- 9 votes
{"commentId":3476986,"authorDomain":"torabu"}
I'd vote for Pikachu in a heart-beat. Not sure about Spongebob, though...
{"commentId":3476986,"threadId":"387967","contentId":"1996232","authorDomain":"torabu"}
- 3 votes
{"commentId":3478756,"authorDomain":"softfacts"}
Spongebob is a big proponent of affordable housing. Pineapples under the sea for everyone!
{"commentId":3478756,"threadId":"387967","contentId":"1996232","authorDomain":"softfacts"}
- 2 votes
{"commentId":3473727,"authorDomain":"snotrag-dave"}
The 'swing states' chart in the article is especially interesting... and not good news for the McCain campaign.
{"commentId":3473727,"threadId":"387967","contentId":"1996232","authorDomain":"snotrag-dave"}
- 2 votes
#2 - Tue Oct 14, 2008 9:15 AM EDT{"commentId":3473952,"authorDomain":"cyregray"}
Aw that's so cute!
{"commentId":3473952,"threadId":"387967","contentId":"1996232","authorDomain":"cyregray"}
- 2 votes
#3 - Tue Oct 14, 2008 9:35 AM EDT{"commentId":3474068,"authorDomain":"lllllllll"}
They are the furure of our country and they are doing a great job! Kudos to their parents too!
{"commentId":3474068,"threadId":"387967","contentId":"1996232","authorDomain":"lllllllll"}
- 2 votes
#4 - Tue Oct 14, 2008 9:45 AM EDT{"commentId":3474256,"authorDomain":"susibv"}
.....Everyone knows........no matter how much we try to keep the truth from kids....THEY KNOW!
you cannot lie to kids........especially the 7 and under......these kids will inevitably tell the truth.
Kids can tell when someone is good and someone isn't.
{"commentId":3474256,"threadId":"387967","contentId":"1996232","authorDomain":"susibv"}
- 3 votes
#5 - Tue Oct 14, 2008 10:00 AM EDT{"commentId":3475199,"authorDomain":"gabby3239"}
When your child or even your grandchild ask you for something simple, thats really not all that expensive and you have been promising them next week or next month for 6 months or more they may not understand exactly what is wrong but believe me they know when you are struggling to make those bills.
{"commentId":3475199,"threadId":"387967","contentId":"1996232","authorDomain":"gabby3239"}
- 2 votes
{"commentId":3476108,"authorDomain":"susibv"}
Renard.....yep they do. You cant lie to them. You tell them one thing, but your voice and your face say another.
Kids have a way of always delivering these gems of truth that you can't find adequate arguments or explanations for.
We need to listen to kids more.
{"commentId":3476108,"threadId":"387967","contentId":"1996232","authorDomain":"susibv"}
- 1 vote
{"commentId":3475165,"authorDomain":"shore"}
This is certainly a "take it with a grain of salt" poll, but I think that it's main purpose is to put into question all of the "Bradley effect" talk. If kids are reflecting their parents' real discussions and real community peer pressures then it looks like race will not be the determining factor in this election. I think that it's probably pretty close to the likely final nationwide totals, barring election rigging.
{"commentId":3475165,"threadId":"387967","contentId":"1996232","authorDomain":"shore"}
- 1 vote
#6 - Tue Oct 14, 2008 11:02 AM EDT{"commentId":3475521,"authorDomain":"biggerthebetter"}
I read somewhere that the Bradley effect has been debunked anyway...
My take on the Scholastic poll is that kids DO hear their parents talking about politics. Children tend to repeat what their parents tell them, since their parents are their role models. The kids are reflecting a true representation of who their parents are voting for when they take this poll.
I can remember being a little girl and wanting President Ford to win so badly I actually CRIED when Carter won. I look back and realize I had no idea about politics except what my parents were impressing upon me.
{"commentId":3475521,"threadId":"387967","contentId":"1996232","authorDomain":"biggerthebetter"}
- 3 votes
{"commentId":3476624,"authorDomain":"ejcanavan"}
I am inclined to agree. I have talked openly about politics with my 3 teens and they seem to agree with my views mainly because they have not entered the workforce yet and have not felt what it's like to be a contributor to the taxes they hear us talk about. I too take this with a grain of salt because I believe most kids vote in the way their parents have influenced them and not because they actually understand what is going on ... especially in 1st grade.
{"commentId":3476624,"threadId":"387967","contentId":"1996232","authorDomain":"ejcanavan"}
- 2 votes
{"commentId":3479615,"authorDomain":"alfie-omega"}
I, too, take this poll with a grain of salt; however, they have only been wrong on two elections so that is pretty impressive. This could be kind of like Jimmy Stewart in Magic Town (1947) where Stewart plays a pollster who finds a town that perfectly mirrors the opinions of the rest of America, that is until the town finds out about what he is doing and its a roller coaster ride after that.
I'm predicting that depending on the outcome of this election, there might be few more people paying attention to the Scholastic News election results.
{"commentId":3479615,"threadId":"387967","contentId":"1996232","authorDomain":"alfie-omega"}
{"commentId":3477734,"authorDomain":"jackson-kittilea"}
From the mouths of babes.....
{"commentId":3477734,"threadId":"387967","contentId":"1996232","authorDomain":"jackson-kittilea"}
#7 - Tue Oct 14, 2008 1:09 PM EDT{"commentId":3478125,"authorDomain":"mandanga"}
This is hilarious! My first-grader is smarter than McCain/Palin!
{"commentId":3478125,"threadId":"387967","contentId":"1996232","authorDomain":"mandanga"}
{"commentId":3479025,"authorDomain":"PamelaDrew"}
Remember the old Scholastic News? I kinda feel like we had to pay for it like the book order stuff. That and Highlights at the doctor and dentist were our global view. Nevermind the barber shop!
{"commentId":3479025,"threadId":"387967","contentId":"1996232","authorDomain":"PamelaDrew"}
- 1 vote
#8 - Tue Oct 14, 2008 2:16 PM EDT{"commentId":3480001,"authorDomain":"ginahelsel"}
I wonder how much this really mirrors voters now. I'm just thinking of what percentage of the voting population this represents. There are so many people, say 40 and under and 60+, who don't have kids in school. How much does that population skew these results, and which way would it go?
I personally hope it's reflective of the outcome, but I think it's an interesting study of demographics.
{"commentId":3480001,"threadId":"387967","contentId":"1996232","authorDomain":"ginahelsel"}
- 2 votes
#9 - Tue Oct 14, 2008 3:12 PM EDT{"canLink":false,"threadId":"387967","isPrivate":false}
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