While our president's job approval poll numbers are in free-fall, he is still quite popular among the younger too-young-to-vote crowd, if what I witnessed in my classroom on Friday is any indication.
I have already forgotton how the subject came up, but I was talking with my 8th graders about controversies that had happened during past presidencies and how those controversies had affected the presidents' popularity. I mentioned the usual events from the Carter, Reagan, Bush I, Clinton, and Bush II years that caused them to be either not reelected, impeached, or otherwise vilified in the press. I then mentioned that the same thing is happening to Obama right now. I mentioned the criticisms he has received about his massive spending proposals and attempts to gut our current health care system.
You should have seen the looks on my students' faces that accompanied the several seconds of shocked silence as my students tried to compute what I had just told them. The look was equal parts confusion and rage. They were confused as to why anyone would actually have a reason to criticize their Dear Leader, and they were enraged that he would actually be criticized. Of course, if you never read or watch the news like most of my students, you would never realize that Obama is actually not universally adored. Believe me, the pleasure of informing them of this fact was all mine.
Good Day to You, Sir
"If a nation expects to be ignorant and free... it expects what never was, and never will be." --Thomas Jefferson
2 comments:
I loved watching the news when I was that age. I was in jr. high during the Carter years, so maybe that's why I was so happy when Reagan came along :-)
I came of age at about that time... and Jimmy Carter was certainly enough to make a life-long Republican out of anybody!
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