Preschoolers & political candidates

It is now standard practice for our three foot+ family member to pop into his room and start clapping.  I hear the clapping and I'm trained to automatically start clapping too.  It transitions to "wild" cheers as our little racer bursts from the room and speeds around the house in complete circles, slowing as he nears to bask in the adulation.  This past week the local public radio station has replayed candidate speeches from recent NW visits.  As I listened, similarities hit me (repeatedly); there are striking parallels between preschoolers and political candidates. 

There's the whole "We love puppies" phenomenon.  A lot of speeches can be broken down into candidates forcefully declaring their appreciation and dedication to things everyone seems to agree about.  We all want respect for veterans.  We'd love to have more money to use for our families.  We think education is important.  You know, "We love _____ (strong economies, little kids, America... puppies)".  It's the same with toddlers.  It's easy to get behind affection for trains, animals, cookies and playgrounds.  Preschoolers have classic loves that can cross a divide.  Hey, they love puppies too.

At some point in the speeches it's always clear the audience is riled up to such a degree that anything the candidate says will be met with enthusiasm.  These local pre-caucus/pre-primary stump speech attendees make for a friendly audience.  The speech ball starts to roll and you're confident the audience will roll anywhere, as long as it's to "change" or "experience" or our personal reduction of basic hope embodied in the process.  You stick with a preschooler too, through the convoluted explanations that carry you from dawn 'til bedtime.  You'll roll with them anywhere.  You believe in their essence.  You're a friendly audience to their passion or their skill, to their bid for what's to come.

Preschoolers and political candidates embrace extreme energy.  Teams of people tag along to help in any way possible.  There's lots of passion, cheering, confusion in "process"... Simultaneously in the parent/voter there's a slight fear of power, and the realization that to some degree or another you are complicit in giving some of that power.  There are moments of disequilibrium when your messages aren't the same.  There are factors in decision-making you won't understand (the importance of obscure special interests from mid-west farmer associations or the importance of wearing just the right color and weight of socks with just the right pair of boots before hitting the trike, rocks in hand).  Their running is full of our dreams.

The differences abound, of course, but that collective appreciation of what is possible for a country or a child whips up some mighty fine energy.  It's enough to get me huddled in a hot and stinky gym on a Saturday caucus afternoon, with all of the neighbors I've never met.  It's enough to get me off the couch to chase the racing boy for a hug. 

As the country gets ready for a big playoff with big payoffs and as my guy grows, I've discovered there's a democratic existence here at home.  I'm campaigning for our future one preschool day at a time.       

Comments

[Jody]

Love the comparison! I never thought of it that way and it made me smile. Pretty sad though that our political system is not much more advanced than the logic of a toddler!

[Grace]

genius. sheer genius. ;)

[Carrie]

wow. just. wow.
We took our 3 year old to our caucus. She kept asking everyone, "who is YOUR president?" It flustered a few and gladdened even more.