In School, Mimicking The Candidates

CBS Evening News: Grade-School Kids Use Campaign Tactics To Debate, Run For Student Council

(CBS)  Hey, Barack Obama and John McCain … move over. You have some pint-sized competition, CBS News correspondent Kelly Wallace reports.

At the Walter S. Boardman Elementary School, just outside of New York City, nine little McCains went up against nine pint-sized Obamas in a debate.

"I John McCain will not keep our troops in Iraq a minute longer than necessary," said one of the McCain proxies.

One little Obama said: "Be sure you vote for me."

And, just like the pros, they bounced right back when things didn't go quite as planned.

One student said: "I also support the amendment of people purchasing … uhh …" and received not applause, but laughter.

"There's a, much greater awareness of the election, the issues and the candidates and how big it is right now, how important it is," said Diane Provvido, the school's social studies supervisor.

The campaign's influence has reached beyond the classroom - to the student council.

At a Long Island middle school, candidates for the council took a page out of the presidential campaign playbook for their own elections. While campaigning, the students could be heard saying, "you can make a difference," and "in this troubled economy … "

"Actually, when I was writing my speech, I was watching the campaign so I was getting a little details to write in my speech," said student Brandon Pecora.

And student Shawn Green touts his experience.

"This is my third year in the school," he said.

Sixth grader Jonathan Rutchik promises change.

"With me as treasurer, you can make a difference," Rutchik said.

Do they think experience will trump change in the Lawrence Middle School?

"Yes," Green said.

Matt Foley, an eighth grader, says he's the treasurer for these troubled economic times. He hands out free chocolate bars - even to his rivals - to sweeten the choice.

Did he get any of those ideas from John McCain or Barack Obama?

"Well, not the chocolate bars. I don't think they hand out chocolate bars," Matt said.

Maybe they should be handing out chocolate bars?

"It might help," he said.

Back at the fourth-grade match up, the spin room was buzzing post-debate.

Did Obama win? Or McCain? It was a tie.

[newsthought1]

America is fed up with all the scandals from Republican crooks, liars, perverts, lawbreakers, and used-car salesmen hucksters that have trashed this country over the last eight years:

Bill Frist
Randy "Duke" Cunningham
Jack Abramoff
Tom DeLay
Mark Foley
Larry Craig
Ted Haggard
Bob Ney
Trent Lott
Ted Stevens
Alberto Gonzales
Donald Rumsfled
Karl Rove
Scooter Libby
*** Cheney
George Bush

Lying about reasons for going to war with Iraq (Uranium,
false claims about Iraq''s supposed weapons of mass destruction.)
Torture in Abu Ghraib.
The treasonous exposure of a CIA agent by White House officials.(Plamegate)
Letting Osama Bin Laden escape from Tora Bora
Halliburton%u2019s overcharging and outright fraud for services in Iraq
Lack of body armor for troops
Enron
Katrina
Illegal wiretapping
Political influence peddling
S.e.x scandals
Troopergate
Travel fraud
Election tampering
Ballooning federal debt
Economy in a tailspin

And these are just for starters%u2026

Enough is enough, America is ready for change!

[kansas1946]

Glad to see the kids getting involved. That is probably the greatest thing about this particular election. Because of Obama, Hillary, and, Palin, it has generated a huge amout of interest especially in young people who normally never pay any attention to us adults in that crazy season called elections! Go kids.