Questions asked during the 1st Presidential Debate

In honor of tonight's second presidential debate, I thought I would share the questions asked by my 8-year-old sons during the first debate on September 26th. The boys got to stay up late because it was a weekend night. They won't be watching this one tonight.

9:00pm Friday, September 26th
1. When announced that the debate would last 90 minutes - "That's an hour and 20 minutes?" and after clarifying how long that would be I was asked "They are going to stand for an hour and a half?"

2. "What are golden parachutes?"

3. "So mom - are they trying to convince us to vote for them with their speeches at the debate?"

4. "How old is John McCain?"

5. "How old is Barack Obama?"

6. In reference to the question about the economic bailout package - "What's a package and what is John McCain going to do with it?" [as if he was going to mail it or walk away with it]

7. "What invasion is John McCain talking about?" [He was talking about Normandy during World War II]

8. "Was John McCain in World War II?"

9. Upon hearing about John McCain being in prison during the Vietnam War - "How long was he in that jail?"

[we're averaging at least a question a minute...]

9:10 pm
1. After hearing the now oft-mentioned saying about Wall Street impacting Main Street. "What is Main Street?"

2. After hearing about John McCain talk about $3 million earmark for genetic testing of Montana bears - "Who are bears in Montana?"

[Finally slowing down on the questions]

9:25 pm
1. "What are loopholes?"

2. "What is the market?"

3. "What was the worst war we were ever in?"

4. "What is the Iraq war about?"

9:35 pm
1. After Barack Obama gave an example of Roosevelt buying houses during the Great Depression and the government eventually making a profit - "Who was Roosevelt?"

2. After explaining that Roosevelt was the US President during the 1930's I was asked "She [my emphasis] bought houses?"

To which I stopped being thoroughly annoyed with all of the questions and hugged him. He believes a woman - nonchalantly, so incredibly wonderfully nonchalantly - can be President.

"No son - Roosevelt was a man. But thank you for thinking that a woman has been President."

He shrugged.

4. "Why do we owe China $500 Billion?"

9:40pm
One boy asleep.

9:50pm
The other boy asleep.