Friday, October 26, 2012

"Kids have good Instincts"


There is a pretty awesome profile of Obama in Rolling Stone at the moment. (Well, permanently, because internet).  It includes the following passage:

I was reminded of this incident when our interview with the president ended. As we left the Oval Office, executive editor Eric Bates told Obama that he had asked his six-year-old if there was anything she wanted him to say to the president. After a thoughtful pause, she said, "Tell him: You can do it." 
Obama grinned. "That's the only advice I need," he said. "I do very well, by the way, in that demographic. Ages six to 12? I'm a killer." 
"Thought about lowering the voting age?" Bates joked. 
"You know, kids have good instincts," Obama offered. "They look at the other guy and say, 'Well, that's a bullshitter, I can tell.'"

One of those policies which there is never going to be political consensus in favour of, but which would actually be quite useful. I am biased towards the idea of lowering the voting age, of course. It just makes me happy to see it getting some play, even as a joke.

I have mentioned it before, but US journalism is messed up. Rolling Stone magazine is actually one of the better sources for good long form political coverage.

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