November 17, 2013: Politics

I have been asked how Grant came out on his student council election. With all the hoopla of football, I have been negligent in this follow up blog. I sadly have to report that Grant did not get elected. But hold your tears, we have all survived quite well. And there were even some life lessons learned along the way.

I knew Grant was to hear about the results on the Thursday post-election. My plan was to call him after school. Instead I learned of the bad news as I read the school newsletter that afternoon. As I perused the school news for the week, I saw a section congratulating the newly elected student council members.

With excitement, I scanned for his anticipated name. No Grant. And then I scanned again. Nope. I initially had a lump in my throat and then I noticed a peculiarity. Of the seven elected officials, six were girls. This struck me as suspect as I knew at least five of Grant's buddies ran. They didn't make the list either.

My bullshit meter was running high. Later I called Grant and let him break the news to me.

"Mom, I didn't get it. All the girls got in!"

He went on to tell me that one of the girls didn't even prepare a speech and that he had thirty student votes compared to the seven votes of one of those elected. Confused, I asked him to explain.

Purportedly, the teacher vote weighs heavily over the student vote. The weighting is so heavy that not having unanimous votes from the teachers makes it impossible to be elected. Grant lacked one teacher vote.

He went on the explain that if one person was kicked out he was next in line. Kind of like the Miss America runner up. Grant complained about it not being fair. I did my mother thing and tried to explain how although he won the popular vote, in some voting systems, like America, the popular vote didn't win elections.

Grant was still confused. I told him he was like the People's Princess. I really dug a hole with this one as he clearly wasn't a Princess Diana fan and the monarchy wasn't a good comparison. I then talked about Hanging Chads and other unfair elections. Still a blank stare. With this election in 2000, the year he was born, it was obviously not covered in his current events in Social Studies.

Finally I told him, "It's politics, Grant. And politics rarely feel fair." You have two choices in politics; accept the current policy or try to have it changed. I suggested that he lobby the principal to change the voting rules for future elections.

By this point, Grant had lost all interest in our conversation. I think his political career is over. Although I do believe he would make a great mayor. And I think Omaha is all about the popular vote. Hmmmm.....don't rule it out, Grant.