I was surprised to see the editorial section of the Seattle Times last

Sunday, Oct. 22, endorsing George W. Bush for president. I must say,

after reading the commentary, who wouldn’t vote for Bush? They laid

out a clear and convincing argument in favor of the candidate — with lots

of words like integrity and civility, bipartisanship, trust and

straightforward talk.

Contrast that with commentary describing Al Gore (words like

bureaucratic, attack, hunger to win at any cost, contrivance and the need to

reach to government for all solutions) and it’s hard to find a way to like, if

not vote, for Mr. Gore.

The first-graders of Snoqualmie Elementary School agree

wholeheartedly. My son’s class voted 16 to 2 in favor of Governor Bush. The

reasons were a little fuzzy, but I gather that these little ones are wise beyond

their years. Here is what my son listed as his reasons for casting his vote

for Bush:

1. His daddy was president. Although this may sound silly to an

adult, in the heart and mind of a 6-year-old this is the ultimate compliment one

can pass on to his father. Children look up to their fathers. They know how

to read, they know how to drive a car and they can fix just about any toy

that breaks on Christmas Day.

2. He comes from a very big state. (The information pamphlet that

the school handed out showed a map of the United States with the state

of Texas colored in for Bush and the itty-bitty District of Columbia colored

in for Gore). To a child, size means everything.

3. He has a dog named Spot. I reminded my son that Mr. Gore also

has dogs, but my son quickly retorted, “Yeah, but their names are Daisy

and Bijou.”

4. He doesn’t lie. Now this one bothered me. What possibly can

a first-grader be hearing through the news media or over the dinner

table? I asked for an example and my son replied, “He said he invented

the Internet, and he didn’t. That’s wrong.” It is wrong. It’s not exactly what

Gore said, but close enough for a 6-year-old.

5. And the best reason: My little boy like elephants much more

than donkeys!

If you think about it — doesn’t his reasoning make a lot of sense?

Governor Bush understands what the family of a president goes through and

will be much more careful to make sure his actions will make his family

proud. He has twice been elected by a populous and diverse state. He has

governed well and has many accomplishments of which to be proud.

He’s down-to-earth, more like us — it’s funny what a dog’s name shows

about a person. And he’s honest, at least more so than the other guy. I

won’t address the elephant issue — it’s just too cute for words.

I hope this helps anyone still struggling over their decision on

Election Day. For those of you who still support Mr. Gore, I can’t wish you

success, but may I offer an alternative? Mr. Nader is still looking for a

few votes.

Kiko Harvey

Snoqualmie