I have several thoughts about the upcoming presidential election that may be fun to ponder for students. The first pertains to the names. I heard that the 2008 election was the first presidential election without a Bush, Kennedy, Gore or Clinton in 40 or so years (don’t quote me on that, I just looked it up and there are many more names on the list, but the sentiment is what I meant). all my thoughts surround around that false quote, and the fact that I can barely remember the Republican nominee in 2008, and yet remember that Bush and Gore were running against each other in 2000, when I was 14 and not even old enough to vote. But the name is not what’s important, as Shakespeare would say, it’s what they stand for.
I also keep thinking about how close recent elections have been, and how big the conventions have been for the opposing party, or both parties if the President has served his two terms. But once again, upon further inspection, most elections have been incredibly close, and choosing an opponent is very important, this will only be the third president for whom I will be voting so I don’t have a very long memory to go on. But what do your students think? Do they think these new presidential names are odd, or are they not used to the names Bush, Gore and Reagan. Do they think this election is of exceptional importance, or of normal importance? Also, Obama produced his birth certificate as proof that he is a born in America, American citizen. While searching for the above information, I saw a Google result asking why no one questioned any one else’s birth. So how important is it to your students that your future president was born in the United States. This requirement is not allowing a record number (but maybe not a record percentage) of American citizens to run. But think about our countries history. The majority of Americans have ancestors within the past few generations where not born in this country. I say this to show that our country has constantly been a beacon of hope for those who no longer feel that their home country is home anymore. So just because more and more immigrants are coming in, should we reconsider this requirement. Or should we continue to require that our presidents, not their parents, be born within the countries borders, and know nothing except life as an American.
This particular infographic is a great way of showing this information. This infographic does take some understanding, so take a few minutes to read it. Each dot represents a question asked or a statistic about the voters. For instance, the importance of the candidates’ religious affiliation, the voters age, and the candidates’ stand on a certain topic. Then each dot is placed showing whether someone with this view was more likely to vote for Santorum, Romney, or one of the others. This is very important information because whomever is voted in to run against Obama must appeal to the most Republicans. For instance, the majority of those over the age of 65 will vote for none of the above, but rather Newt Gingrich. That isn’t to say they would vote for Obama if Gingrich isn’t his opponent, but a few may. By the time your students are of age to be a major part of an election, those in this age bracket will have grown up in a different era and may stand for other things. Explore the rest of the dots and see what other questions you may be able to pose to allow further exploration of current politics for your students. Make them interested because they will be voting before they know it. And it’s ok to be discouraged by it, just like anything else. The end is what matters and supporting whomever wins is what will make a difference. If only to be re-elected, or for his party to be re-elected, the next president, and any elected official, will listen to those with the power of the ballot. So if your students disagree, or agree, with an elected official, encourage them to write a professionally written letter, at the very least, to appeal to their constituents.
My apologies on this being so long. I hope I have provided plenty to think about, and for your students to think about. Just like everyone else, I have plenty of thoughts on politics, and I hope I have shared thought-provoking ideas that will lead to discussions, not on what is right or wrong, but on what is important, or may lead to research.