If Students Were Deciding The Election ...

If it was up to students in California's schools to determine our next president, it would be a landslide for Barack Obama. Sen. Obama took 73.5 percent of the vote in the poll which was conducted in 901 schools, with 594,720 voters. Even in generally conservative Orange County, where McCain is likely to do well, Obama took 89 percent of the vote.

Read into this what you will. They are many variables, of course, which would make a dedicated pollster cringe. (Among others, not all schools in the state participated).

Interpretations aside, what is clear is that students across the country are watching the election -- in some cases -- as closely as their parents. We explored this in a piece on the show today. (You can also find some tips on how to create "engaged citizens" here.) The issue that concerned students the most: the economy.

Day to Day wants to know what political issue defined your high school education? Madeleine Brand saw the start of the Reagan revolution and while Alex Chadwick was in highschool, JFK was assassinated. That overwhelmed everything.

Were you more or less politically involved than students today? Let us know how politics played out during your adolescence below.

12:43 PM ET | 11- 3-2008 | permalink

comments | | e-mail