Nothing quite like using a small child as political propaganda.

November 26, 2000 5:29 AM

Nothing quite like using a small child as political propaganda. Hopefully his parents will let him grow up with the ability to form his own opinions and beliefs..!
posted by sammy (10 comments total)

you can say that again.
posted by quonsar at 7:53 AM on November 26, 2000

I remember wearing a button in 1956 that said "I like Ike". I would have been just shy of three years old.
posted by Steven Den Beste at 9:12 AM on November 26, 2000

I dunno; the kid looks like he's, what, 7 or 8? I know I was old enough at that age to have some vague political awareness. He might well be holding that sign because of his "own opinions and beliefs." Even I'm not cynical enough to automatically assume otherwise.
posted by webmutant at 11:56 AM on November 26, 2000

As a 5-year old, I really liked Ronald Reagan, because I liked the sound of his voice.

Right, granting that it was an amazingly ill-informed political opinion, how is that any different from most of the political opinions held by adults in this country?
posted by grimmelm at 12:00 PM on November 26, 2000

"Hey, mom, I just made this sign to show my support for Gov. Bush in his continuing battle to be declared president. Will you drive me downtown so I can display it in a place where I'm likely to get some press attention?"
posted by rcade at 12:38 PM on November 26, 2000

I dunno; the kid looks like he's, what, 7 or 8? I know I was old enough at that age to have some vague political awareness.

Yeah, but does Bush? (or Gore, actually, since he's putting on a decent 7-year-old act right now.)
posted by holgate at 12:58 PM on November 26, 2000

In 1976, when I was six years old, my parents, both devout Southern Baptist Republicans, "suggested" that I join them in door to door campaigning for President Ford. Likewise, in 1980 for Reagan. By 1984, I had begun to develop my own political sensibilities, and I was less enthusiastic. Still, I complied for the sake of domestic harmony (Not to mention self-interest....I knew that I'd need to borrow the car soon).

But that's where it ended. As soon as I could, I became active in progressive causes, and have leaned to the left in my beliefs and votes, sending my father into apoplectic fits whenever political subjects arise.

So, parents, take heed. While junior may be doing his level best to impress you by waving a sign that he doesn't really understand, eventually, he will begin to think for himself. And when he does, don't be surprised if he is angry with you for using him in a cheap and manipulative way to further your own political agenda.
posted by Optamystic at 3:28 PM on November 26, 2000

Well, we were a Republican family. My uncle supported Richard Nixon to the last. Every time a Republican got elected as governor of Illinois it was like your favorite song got put back on the record player. Happily all of this was blown away by the permissive Seventies and we've been liberals ever since.
posted by leo at 6:03 PM on November 26, 2000

Personally I think at this point, if we stopped letting adults vote and allowed children to decide who runs the country, we'd be in better shape. No matter who wins in the supreme court, the country's already lost.

In 2004 I'm just gonna vote for Michael Moore out of principle. But then again, why vote at all? I love how the media keeps saying that all this means every vote counts. No it doesn't. Votes are still being dismissed. The old punchcard system has allowed votes to fall through the cracks. The people in charge of running the vote are incompetent.
posted by ZachsMind at 8:19 PM on November 26, 2000

Personally I think at this point, if we stopped letting adults vote and allowed children to decide who runs the country, we'd be in better shape.

Don't be so sure. Children voted overwhelmingly for Bush in the traditional poll of Weekly Reader subscribers and another national poll. It was something like 66 to 33 percent.
posted by rcade at 4:32 AM on November 27, 2000