CHILD: Mommy, don't turn off the TV. I want to watch Charlie Rose and then Curious George.
MOTHER: Okay. You want to watch Charlie Rose?
CHILD: Yes.
MOTHER: Um, okay.
Minutes pass.
CHILD: Is that Barack Obama?
MOTHER: Yes, that is Barack Obama.
CHILD: Why is he called Barack Obama?
MOTHER: Does his name sound strange to you?
CHILD: Yes. It sounds cool.
MOTHER: It's an African name. His daddy was from Africa. That's why he has an African name. His Mommy was from Kansas, where Grandpa lives.
CHILD: Why is he talking on the TV?
MOTHER: He's running for President of the United States.
CHILD: He wants to be a president?
MOTHER: Yes. A whole bunch of people are running for President of the United States. There is a woman named Hilary Clinton. There is a man named John Edwards. There's a man named John McCain, and a man named Mitt Romney, and a man named Mike Huckabee, and a man named Fred Thompson. Do you remember seeing some of those other people on TV? When Mommy and Daddy were watching the debate?
CHILD: Yes.
MOTHER: They are all running for President of the United States, along with some other people, too, and it's up to us, the people who live in the United States, to think carefully about the people who want to be president and then choose which person will be the best president.
CHILD: Oh. We choose?
MOTHER: Yes, everyone in the country together gets to choose.
CHILD: Well, Barack Obama will be the best president.
MOTHER: Why do you think Barack Obama will be the best president?
CHILD: Because he is the best one.
MOTHER: But, why do you think he will be the best one? What do you like about him?
CHILD: He is just the best one. He is nice.
MOTHER: You think he seems nice when he talks on the TV?
CHILD: Yes. He looks nice. Also, I like to say his name.
12 comments:
If Mr. O is smart, he'll get right to work on having your little man on the campaign trail with him! heehee
Get that kid registered to vote, he has until Wednesday. Oh, wait. He's not 18. Sounds like his reasons are as good as any with this bunch. :)
First of all, I don't even know *everyone* running for president (PATHETIC I KNOW - Don't tell my step-dad). Second of all, I love these conversations. Third of all, your son's reasons for voting are better than 75% of America, so I think he should stick with it. Go with the gut, kid!
He has convinced me. I now know who I will be voting for. lol
I love Issac -- seriously, like fo real. did I mention I love Issac?
I like your kid.
Sounds like Isaac has the same reasoning skills as much of the Democratic vote these days. What I'm not sure of is whether this speaks well of Isaac or poorly of Democrats. (Nothing against Isaac or anything! But unfortunately, nice isn't enough to get the changes we need.)
Rebecca, don't worry: I am not holding my three-year-old to the same standards I would hold an adult voter when it comes to political thought process ;)
ha! that was cute. Did you know Barack's middle name is Hussein? That didn't come from Africa. But I still like him.
Marriage, Hussein could be, in this case, from Africa. Apparently the best known Swahili playwright was named Hussein - http://msupress.msu.edu/bookTemplate.php?bookID=1628
http://people.africadatabase.org/en/person/15704.html
people have used much less informed rationale to cast their votes in the past, I'll wager.
Yes, I know his middle name is Hussein. I think the shadier members of the Republican National Committee have been on a mission to make sure that every living being on the planet knows that his middle name is Hussein.
I think it's rather ridiculous that people try to pick on him based on his middle name, or any part of his name. Then again, as the bearer of an unusual name myself, prejudice against people based on their names is a very personal issue for me. I was once denied a part-time work study job at the university I attended university solely because of my unusual first name (the interviewer, who had not been part of the initial screening process, said upon reading my name, "Your parents must have been hippies!" and showed me right out the door).
It's not like people usually get to pick their own names. And once you've grown up with a name, it's very hard to change it, even if other people don't like it. I think it would be especially difficult to change your name if you were named after your father, like Barack Obama was.
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