This Issue:

Table of Contents

Cover Story

Cover Story - Spanish Version

Mini-Lesson

Comprehension Quiz

Teacher's Guide and Worksheets

Election Fact File

Some elections are so close that any detail, no matter how small, can make a big difference. During a year of speeches, debates and interviews, candidates' words--and lives--are examined closely. Historians study past elections to try to learn from missteps. Others find humor in the race's drama or try to predict the winner. Here's a guide to election facts, figures and fun.

Republicans Cheer on Their President
Predicting the Winner Presidential elections are decided by votes. But superstitious people predict a race's outcome based on sports, height and even baking skills! Are the following prediction patterns simply coincidences?

* If the Washington Redskins win the last football game they play before the election, the new President will belong to the political party already in power.
True for 18 out of the last 18 elections.

* The candidate's wife whose cookie recipe gets the most votes in Family Circle magazine's Cookie Cook-Off will be the First Lady.
True for three out of the last three elections.

* The taller of the candidates comes out on top.
True for 10 of the last 13 elections.

* If a Republican wins Ohio's electoral votes, he will win the race.
True since Abraham Lincoln won in 1860.

Whoops!
Everyone makes mistakes, and candidates are no exception. But their errors get a lot more attention than yours do. Below is a sampling of some embarrassing blunders and bloopers.

While campaigning in New Hampshire in 2000, George W. Bush told a crowd that he knew how hard it was "to put food on your family."

Former President Bill Clinton once misspoke during a 1992 campaign stop in Hawaii. Instead of telling students to use their minds, he invited them to "lose" their minds.

While visiting a school in 1992, Vice Presidential candidate Dan Quayle insisted that a 12-year-old student write potato with an e at the end.

Earlier this year at a rally in Chicago, Illinois, John Kerry accused some Republicans of lying. He didn't realize reporters were recording him at the time.

A Few of Their Favorite Things
Do President George W. Bush and Senator John Kerry have anything in com-mon? Well, both men want to be President, and both say that blue is their favorite color. We asked the candi-dates to name some of their other favorites. Here is what they said.

Senator John Kerry	President George Bush
CHILDHOOD HERO	CHILDHOOD HERO
His dad, Richard Kerry	Willie Mays
BAND	BAND
The Beatles	The Everly Brothers
SPORT	SPORT
Hockey	Fishing
KID'S BOOK	KID'S BOOK
Robin Hood	The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle
SNACK FOOD	SNACK FOOD
Chocolate	Popcorn
COLOR	COLOR
Blue	Blue

 

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