Primary Presidential Politics

If you've been following along for a while, you have probably figured out that we live in the greater Boston area. Enough that we're a part of the Boston market for TV, and the Boston market reaches into southern NH, where all the politicians are positioning themselves for the 2008 primaries already. Already as in...for at least the last two years! But of course, it's really starting to heat up.

EJ recently discovered two terrific books, The Kid Who Ran for President and The Kid Who Became President. She picked the first one as one of her prizes in the summer reading program at our library. She loved it and has read it several times in the last few months. Then, her 3rd grade teacher read them the second book. But that wasn't enough. EJ wanted, no...NEEDED, to read it again. She called the fabulous Mrs. F, the children's librarian at the library, and asked her to order it. While waiting for the order to come in, Mrs. F requested another copy through inter-library loan, and EJ has read it at least twice this week.


I haven't read the books myself, although EJ has read large portions of them to me. She really has learned a lot about how we elect a president, and then what the president does after taking office. She knows more random facts about more of the Presidents than I would ever remember. For example, which President died of pneumonia only a month after taking office? (Answer below)

Anyway, while watching Chronicle last night, a commercial for Hilary Clinton came on. EJ said "Wow, if she wins, will she be the first female President?" Yes, I answered. "Cool!" Then I had to open my mouth and say how we live close enough that perhaps we could go to see some of the candidates as they are making rounds in NH. "Wicked cool!" Guess I'll be checking out candidate schedules to see who we can go see over the next few months.

Anyway, could be a good educational thing since she's so tapped into the subject right now. I'm heading to DC on business in a few weeks and we originally thought of taking the whole family along to do sightseeing for a few days, but after our busy schedule over the last few weeks, we just couldn't do it. I'll take lots of pictures for her and maybe I can find some more books while I'm there.

By the way, she does say that she wants to be President some day. She said that Sophie can't be President since she was born in China. But Sophie can be the Empress of China instead, she said. And the first law she would make? "I would outlaw tattoos!" Whatever.

Answer: William Henry Harrison