Settling down

This has been an exhausting year. Ever since about March I have found myself in a constant spiral of argument, malicious attacks, misinformation, and repetitiveness. I believe the term is "shit-storm". As far as this election goes, I am officially done. Well, so is America in about 24 hours. This final post will be a round-up of some of the less-covered venues that I find great interest in.

For years, Nickelodeon has broadcasted Nick News with Linda Ellerbee. Well, she's still kicking, and the results for the Kids Pick the President special are in. After 2 million votes, Barack Obama wins with 51%, and McCain loses with 49%. That was an incredibly close race, for sure. Almost too close. In a Nick News special on the candidates, kids asked important questions regarding key issues; these questions were answered by the candidates so many times that by now, it's merely second nature. The last question asked blindsided both of them: "What was your favorite Halloween costume as a kid?" Obama answered first by saying his daughters like to be cute for Halloween. This goes against his beliefs that Halloween should be scary. He then admitted that his favorite costume was a pirate. McCain answered swiftly by saying his favorite costume was also as a pirate. He would like to still take out his sword and dagger in the Senate at times. How incredibly adorable is that?

For both candidates to agree to do this is admirable. The production was simple. They probably only spent a half-hour in a room with a camera and an interviewer. It's all a part of the "big show" strategy. The pageantry of it all may allude to the candidates' need to appeal to voters' children, but maybe it's because they simply want to do it. But this is important to a lot of kids (apparently at least 2 million). A lot of the time, kids only focus on character when picking a president and not the issues. As the videos posted on their site will indicate, many kids do care about the issues and have a lot to say. Although they are not eligible voters, they will be next election. Also, they come from a household whose views may be the same as their views. Could this be a reflection of the national result?