What's Your Vote?

Yesterday we traveled to Huntington to visit the Dan Quayle Vice-Presidential Museum where we participated in a "We Vote" program. In the days before this field trip, the girls have been hard at work putting together a lap book of the entire election process. We've read books, searched the internet, and watched an educational video on the election process to help gain some understanding of this whole process. Monday afternoon I found MEG at her desk with her lap book busily filling in the meanings of a few of the political terms (i.e. donkey, elephant, sacrificial lamb, etc.) that she had found in a book.

The MC of the program led us through the process from candidates choosing to run for President all the way to election day. Chairs were set up in rows, and each row represented a different state, each with a certain number of delegates. To start off with, the MC asked, "If you want to be blue (or gold), raise your hand." Then he selected three candidates for each "color."
After three candidates were chosen for both "blue" and "gold," he gave them the impossible task of campaigning to the group in one minute and forty-five seconds. However, before sending them out, he explained how many delegate votes they each needed in order to win and how to strategically plan on which states would be best to campaign in. He demonstrated the "how" and "why" some campaign processes failed or succeeded in this year's election campaign. After the campaign trail ended, we voted. We were only allowed to vote for the candidates representing the color we chose at the beginning of the program.
After the presidential nominees chose their running mates, the debates started as they answered questions from the audience. The MC played the part of the media, newspapers, internet, reporters, etc. After the questions were answered, he challenged their responses, demonstrating the influence of the media, by taking little snippets of what they said either out of context or shedding it under a different light, attempting to make the candidates "look bad." Finally, it was time to vote.

Here is what the girls learned in their own words:

GVG: I saw how to elect a President. I also saw how to vote. I learned all sorts of stuff, like voting and how to get a President. The most unusual thing I learned was that 20 people were running for President. I would like to learn more about Presidents and how to vote. I think I could learn about this by reading books, asking questions, and watching movies and plays.

MEG: I saw them elect a President. I also saw a green dress (an interject from Mom -- the green dress was the inauguration gown worn by Mrs. Quayle). I learned how to elect a President. I would like to learn more about how the Vice-President came in. I could learn about this by asking questions.

For the first time in my life, I better understand how the electoral college works. The other thing I realized was that when you cast your vote, you are actually voting to tell another person how to vote.
~Wee