For the last forty years children participating in the Scholastic Book Presidential Election Poll have accurately picked the winner, mostly. The two races in the title are the exception. Today the results from this year's poll were released. In their election Barack Obama won. We won't know until November 4th if this one is what will be now or what could have been.
Imagine how America would have been different if Dewey had won. By 1948 he had left his isolationist leanings to see the inclusiveness of a global mindset. In spite of running an insipid campaign full of lame statements like "You future lies ahead of you" he did make a rather profound statement with regards to the "red hunting" and "communist bashing" many in the Republican Party were promoting. He argued over outlawing the Communist Party of America by stating "you can't shoot an idea with a gun." Think about how different the fifties would have been if there had been a Republican president in the White House when Joseph McCarthy began his reign of terror. It is doubtful that even McCarthy would have gone against his Party's President. Yes I know Ike was President from 1953 to 1961, but McCarthy started his hunting in 1950 under President Truman.
Now jump forward a decade and imagine Nixon was in the hot seat when Russia showed it's hand in Cuba. Could the cold war been much colder? From a domestic point of view, what would have happened to the Civil Rights movement? If Nixon had been in the White House in 1963 how would the march on Washington have played out? Granted LBJ oversaw signing most of the Civil Rights act into being but if he hadn't gone to D.C. with Kennedy we can only wonder the changes that may have happened.
All of this proves why it is easier to be an historian than an adviser.
At least we won't have to wait too long to see if the kids are right on this one.
Waiting to vote,
jené
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