The Silent Majority

[Venus Pax]

As a reading comprehension exercise, my 8th grade class has been reading and discussing an article on three presidential candidates (McCain, Obama, & Nader). I hear a lot of talk both in the halls and the classroom from students about Obama; he appears to have a large following in our student body.

In an electoral college exercise, I started with a confidential popular vote. I was surprised to find that McCain got nearly double the votes. I think I met members of "the Silent Majority" today. I found it interesting.

[asleepatthereel]

Good to hear there is still hope.

[anygunanywhere]

I have read of several elementary schools where this has occurred. There is always hope.

Thanks, Venus. I wish I had more teachers like you when I was in school.

Anygunanywhere

[HighVelocity]

I don't know the age of your students but I'm going to go out on a limb and say that the majority of teenage boys are going to vote for the ticket with the hot librarian on it.

[lrb111]

I would like to commend your students on seeing the leadership experience in the two conservative candidates, but I agree with High Velocity.

[DoubleJ]

Good to hear there is still hope.

Hope and change! hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha
*breath*

[flintknapper]

Good to hear there is still hope.

Hope and change! hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha
*breath*

I happen to agree that we need some change in Washington, but if Obama gets into office..we will have: Come up out of the ditch on the right side, COMPLETELY CROSSED THE ROAD, and gone into the ditch on the left!

Now, that would be "change" alright, but is that the kind of change we want? NOT ME!

[WarHawk-AVG]

What does this map tell you?


Square miles of
counties won
Bush 2.54 million
Kerry 592,000

Population (2003) of
counties won
Bush 159,2 million
Kerry 130.9 million

Counties won by less than 5 percentage points
Bush 164
Kerry 146

[flintknapper]

What does this map tell you?

That we need to get rid of all the little blue "pimples"?

[anygunanywhere]

What does this map tell you?


Square miles of
counties won
Bush 2.54 million
Kerry 592,000

Population (2003) of
counties won
Bush 159,2 million
Kerry 130.9 million

Counties won by less than 5 percentage points
Bush 164
Kerry 146

That map tells me nothing about this election except that the new one will be more blue.

Anygunanywhere

[WEC]

As a reading comprehension exercise, my 8th grade class has been reading and discussing an article on three presidential candidates (McCain, Obama, & Nader). I hear a lot of talk both in the halls and the classroom from students about Obama; he appears to have a large following in our student body.

In an electoral college exercise, I started with a confidential popular vote. I was surprised to find that McCain got nearly double the votes. I think I met members of "the Silent Majority" today. I found it interesting.

As much as I hope and wish that the rest of the country shares this silent majority, the fact of the matter is that it is based on a small sample of students in Texas. We are a red state through and through, and it permeates to our children as they are raised. The same exercise done in Boston would reveal the vocal majority who support Obama as well as the confidential popular vote. Still, it is nice to know that some children are not succumbing to Obama's brainwashing and promises that he cannot even begin to keep.

[Venus Pax]

...the fact of the matter is that it is based on a small sample of students in Texas.

I never meant to imply that my students are an adequate sampling for a poll; however, I will be interested to see on Nov. 4-5 how closely my students mirror other states/regions.
I should have better conveyed the basis for my surprise. In any given class, 50% to 80% of my students will be on the free/reduced lunch & breakfast roster. They aren't exactly affluent, and would be the target recipients for Obama's promises. I thought it was odd that they would vote in favor of one of those evil republicans, especially considering the overwhelming amount of kool-aid on campus.

[Liberty]

...the fact of the matter is that it is based on a small sample of students in Texas.

I never meant to imply that my students are an adequate sampling for a poll; however, I will be interested to see on Nov. 4-5 how closely my students mirror other states/regions.
I should have better conveyed the basis for my surprise. In any given class, 50% to 80% of my students will be on the free/reduced lunch & breakfast roster. They aren't exactly affluent, and would be the target recipients for Obama's promises. I thought it was odd that they would vote in favor of one of those evil republicans, especially considering the overwhelming amount of kool-aid on campus.

I found the differences between the volume of the talk and secret ballot was what was interesting. For young folgs the young enegetic black man is something exciting to talk about. However the kids are smart enough to understand that the boring criteria is what we look for in our leaders .. things like experiance traditional values etc just don't make interesting hallway chatter.

[WEC]

...the fact of the matter is that it is based on a small sample of students in Texas.

I never meant to imply that my students are an adequate sampling for a poll; however, I will be interested to see on Nov. 4-5 how closely my students mirror other states/regions.
I should have better conveyed the basis for my surprise. In any given class, 50% to 80% of my students will be on the free/reduced lunch & breakfast roster. They aren't exactly affluent, and would be the target recipients for Obama's promises. I thought it was odd that they would vote in favor of one of those evil republicans, especially considering the overwhelming amount of kool-aid on campus.

I never meant to imply that you were conducting a sampling for a poll. Having read your description of the type of students in your classes, I now understand your surprise.

[casingpoint]

That map tells me votes should somehow be pro rated based on voters and electors per square mile so that abnormally densified urban areas cannot unduly influence national elections.

With respect to the Silent Majority, I think they are still out there in the hills by the scores. Tuesday they will stop clinging to their guns long enough to make a trip to the poles and put the airheads in their place.