Every year, teacher Mike Wilson of Ballwin, Missouri has his elementary-school students study the presidential election process in America.
From the resulting essays and exam papers, Wilson has culled some gems of youthful insight and wisdom,
not to mention skepticism worth of a politics-weary adult.
As the presidential election grows near, we offer some of Wilson's treasures.
- The difference between a king and a president is that a king is the son of his father but a president is not.
- Universal suffrage means that even the illegible get to vote.
- It is possible to get the majority of electoral votes without getting the majority of popular votes. Anyone who can ever understand how this works gets to be president.
- Some of our presidents never did much else and are famous only because they became president.
- The more I think about trying to run for president the less I think of it.
- The president has the power to appoint and disappoint the members of his cabinet.
- The winning candidate is elected and inoculated.
- In January, the president makes his Inaugural Address after he has been sworn at.
- Popular votes tell who is the most popular. Electoral votes tell who is the most elected.
- Noncommittal is to be able to talk and talk without saying anything.
- When the radio mentions a landslide, cross your fingers and hope it is talking about an election.
- A dark horse is a candidate that the delegates don't know enough about to dislike yet.
- A split ticket is when you don't like any of them on the ticket so you tear it up.
- Political strategy is when you don't let people know you have run out of ideas and keep shouting anyway.
- We are learning how to make our election results known quicker and quicker. It is our campaigns we are having trouble getting any shorter.
- Politician is the bawling out name for a candidate you don't like.
- Speaking of defeat, candidates are told never to.