More Politics @ the Johnson's

So, the continuing saga of "who are you voting for?" at my house is almost to an end! Within 24 hours we will have a new president. Tonight I sat with my kids (8YO daughter, 4YO son) and showed them the copy of the voting ballot I'll have tomorrow, complete with names and parties on it. After going through the locals' names with my husband (who is more actively aware of local politics than I am), and grilling him for who he's voting for and why, I sat with my kids at bedtime and went over some of the local campaign topics and issues. (Like the future of the local public transportation system, and the School Board.)

Then we talked about the presidential candidates. We picked up some books at the library about McCain and Obama and we looked at them together, picking out highlights. They both were impressed with McCain for being a pilot and felt bad for him being a POW for so long. My daughter was appalled that he'd divorced his first wife and remarried the same year, starting another family. They liked some of the things he'd done, and my son thought it was cool that he was a rebel, but my daughter was concerned about that. They both felt bad about Obama's early years and that both his parents are dead, and neither liked his dad much, but both loved his mom. They were impressed that he still went to a great college and graduated so high up. Both think he should have gone on to make lots of money working for a big law firm, but agreed that what he did instead made him a nice person. They see McCain as being "grown-up" and Obama as being "young".

We talked on and on, past bedtime, about health care issues, energy issues, and lots of other things I didn't think they'd care about. In the end, my daughter, previously a strong McCain supporter, now admits liking both candidates, and says she is torn about who she will vote for. Trevor, however, is still very adamant that McCain should be president.

As for me, I'm just impressed that we even had this discussion together, my kids and I.