The 2008 Election according to a 9 year old

It amazes me what kids are talking about.

Or maybe it shouldn't.

Big Sis decided to tell me all about what the kids in her class have been talking about in regards to the 2008 Presidential election. Now, she goes to a very diverse school, we live in a fairly liberal area, but I'm always surprised to hear the kids impressions of the candidates and their opinions.

A few months ago, when the primary was held in our state, Big Sis kept asking who we'd vote for, and asking questions about Senators Clinton and Obama. She was having a hard time understanding the Primary process - most adults don't understand it either - and we did our best to answer her questions and encourage her to listen to the news with us at dinner time and what they said about each candidate.

Then she didn't talk about it again, until this week.

She tells me, "Kids in my class got in a fight today about who they want to be President?"

"Oh really?" I ask, "What did they have to say about each?"

"Most kids in my class want McCain to be President," she says.

Naturally, I ask her why.

"Because Hillary is OLD!" she says, "She's like SIXTY!"

Trying not to laugh, I point out that Senator McCain is actually much older than Senator Clinton.

Then Big Sis says, "Oh, and kids don't want Obama, because he said in a speech that he's gay"

Now this really had me scratching my head. "Um, when did he say that? I've never heard that on the news," I tell her.

"Oh, when he was like, 18 or something."

I explained to her that I don't know where that information came from, but I'd never heard it. I offered to look it up on the internet for her, as I usually offer when she's got some wild notion about something. I further explained that it really didn't matter if a candidate was gay or not, but how they stand on important issues to the country like the economy, health care, education and the war in Iraq. This all seemed to make sense to her.

Then she says, "I told Tori that I didn't like Clinton because I just can't trust her and she just wants to live in the White House again."

"Where did you hear that one?" I ask.

"You said that."

Now, that isn't quite what I said, but I realized that maybe she does listen to me sometimes. I should explain things better to her when I make statements about politics, or just not talk about politics in general.