3-1 (04)
release dates: January 10-16
TM
TM
Distributed by Universal Press Syndicate
© 2004 The Mini Page Publishing Company Inc.
By BETTY DEBNAM
from The Mini Page by Betty Debnam © 2004 The Mini Page Publishing Company Inc.
It’s Political Party Time…
The Presidential Election
Every
four years,
Americans go
to the polls to
elect a
president. The year 2004 is such a
year. There will be much about the
presidential election in the news. The
candidates will try to win voters with:
• popular views on issues.
• good strategies for campaigning.
• successful fund-raising.
• favorable media attention.
How they appear in newspapers
and on TV is very important to the
candidates.
The political parties
A political party is a group of people
who work to promote their ideals and
candidates.
While the states set down the
election rules, political parties select
the candidates who run.
Although there are some other
parties, most people vote for candidates
of either the Democratic or Republican
party.
The donkey is the
Democratic
symbol.
The elephant is
the Republican
symbol.
The candidate search
Primary and caucus months
George
W. Bush is
expected to be
the favorite
choice of
Republicans.
If elected, he can
serve one more
term.
Democrats
George W. Bush
have a bigger job
selecting their candidate. They have
several choices. This search has been
going on for some time.
Primaries and caucuses are usually
held in January through June. Several
states are moving up their primaries
to February and March.
The nomination
Both parties will hold national
conventions to make and announce
their choice.
The Democratic
Convention will be in
Boston, Mass., on
July 26-29.
The contest
Political parties in each state hold a
contest to decide:
• who would make the best candidate.
• which delegates will be sent to a
convention to nominate, or select, the
presidential candidate.
Most states use
primaries, or
elections where
voters use secret
ballots.
However, for
several reasons, including saving
money, some states aren’t holding
presidential primaries this year.
These states plan to use caucuses,
or gatherings where party members
meet to select their candidates. They
often use a show of hands to vote.*
The Republican
Convention is in
New York City,
Aug. 30 through
Sept. 2.
The final campaign
In September and
October, candidates
will go around the
country to try to get
votes.
The election
The presidential election will be
Nov. 2, 2004.
*Usually political parties pay for caucuses, while
states pay for primary elections.
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®
3-2 (04); release dates: January 10-16
Distributed by Universal Press Syndicate
from The Mini Page by Betty Debnam © 2004 The Mini Page Publishing Company Inc.
When the political parties have
chosen their candidates, the top party
choices will debate on national
television. Your family might want to
watch. Millions of Americans will
want to hear what the candidates say
and how they present themselves.
A debate is an organized way of
presenting different viewpoints. The
candidates must agree to a plan, or
fair rules.
Three presidential debates will be
held: Sept. 30, Oct. 8 and Oct. 13,
2004.
The first TV debates
The first face-to-face nationwide TV
debates were held in 1960 between John
F. Kennedy and Richard M. Nixon. Nixon
looks great in the print below, but in the
first debate he looked tired and nervous.
Many people felt that this gave Kennedy
an advantage.
Kennedy won the election. Nixon ran for
president eight years later and won.
There were no national TV debates
during that election.
John F. Kennedy
Richard M. Nixon
Web site to see: www.debates.org.
from The Mini Page by Betty Debnam © 2004 The Mini Page Publishing Company Inc.
Mini Spy . . .
How this election will be
different
Republican George W. Bush campaigns
in New Hampshire in 2000. He won the
2000 election.
photos courtesy the Manchester Union Leader
The candidates will debate
The presidential election of 2000
was one of the closest in U.S. history.
After all the states had turned in
their results, the outcome depended
on which candidate won the state of
Florida.
It took 36 days to determine who
won. Even the U.S. Supreme Court
became involved in this unusual
election. George W. Bush was
declared the winner.
Many experts thought that
changes must be made in the next
election.
This year voters will find:
• New voting machines in many
states. Each state decides what type
of voting machine it will use. Many
of the old machines have been
replaced.
TM
Mini Spy is visiting the elephant and the donkey at the zoo. Each
represents a political party. See if you can find: • duck • banana
• chicken
• ladder
• ear of corn
• letter Z
• kite
• hourglass
• book
• heart
• umbrella
• letter E
• carrot
• letter D
• envelope
• letter A
Brown
Basset ws
The Ned’s
Houn
TM
Democratic candidate Al Gore talks with
a group of kids in New Hampshire. He
lost the 2000 election.
• Ballots in languages other than
English in areas where at least 5
percent of the people speak another
language.
• It will be harder for people who
want to vote to be turned away. (To
prevent people from voting more
than once, they are required to
register, or sign up, before they are
allowed to vote.)
Who will
live in the
White
House?
from The Mini Page by Betty Debnam © 2004 The Mini Page Publishing Company Inc.
Election
TRY ’N
FIND
Words and names that remind us of the presidential election are hidden
in the block below. Some words are hidden backward or diagonally, up
and down, and some letters are used twice. See if you can find: WIN,
PRESIDENT, ELECTION, CONVENTION, CAUCUS, UNITED, NEW,
STATES, DONKEY, ELEPHANT, REPUBLICAN, DEMOCRAT, SEAT,
CAMPAIGN, VOTE, NOMINATE, PRIMARY, POLITICAL, HAMPSHIRE,
IOWA, RUN, POLL.
N E W H A M P S H I R E Q E T
TELL YOUR
G T N E D I S E R P O L L L A
PARENTS TO
I Y P O L I T I C A L E S E R
VOTE!
A S U C U A C J K N T P E C C
P V O U N I T E D I A H T T O
M P R I M A R Y A W E A A I M
A B M A Y E K N O D S N T O E
C O N V E N T I O N U T S N D
N A C I L B U P E R E T O V X
Please include all of the appropriate registered trademark symbols and copyright lines in any publication of The Mini Page®.
®
3-3 (04); release dates: January 10-16
Distributed by Universal Press Syndicate
Go dot to dot and color these political symbols.
TM
Rookie Cookie’s Recipe
Snappy Ginger Cookies
These make tasty after-school treats served with hot chocolate.
You’ll need:
• 1 egg
• 3/4 cup shortening
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 1/4 cup molasses
• 21/2 cups flour
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon ginger
What to do:
1. Mix egg, shortening, brown sugar and molasses until creamy.
2. In another bowl, sift together the remaining ingredients.
3. Add the two mixtures to make the dough.
4. Chill in refrigerator for 1 hour.
5. Roll dough into balls the size of walnuts and place on greased
cookie sheet.
6. Flatten slightly and sprinkle with white sugar and 2 drops of
water on each cookie.
7. Bake in a preheated 350-degree oven for 12 minutes. Don’t
overbake. Let cool for 5 minutes. Makes 3 dozen cookies.
from The Mini Page by Betty Debnam © 2004 The Mini Page Publishing Company Inc.
Meet Parminder Nagra
from The Mini Page by Betty Debnam © 2004 The Mini Page Publishing Company Inc.
Parminder Nagra has gone from a
hit movie to a hit television series.
Parminder, 28, became a professional
actress when she was 17 years old. But it
was her starring role in “Bend It Like
Beckham” last year that made her a
popular actress in the United States.
Now she has a new role on the TV series “ER,” where
she plays a medical student in training at the hospital.
Parminder’s family moved from India to England in
the 1960s. She was born and raised in Leicester,
England, and has a younger sister and two younger
brothers. Her name is an unusual one. Her middle name
is Kaur. Her full name means “supreme goddess.” She is
currently living in Los Angeles during the filming of the
TV series.
from The Mini Page by Betty Debnam © 2004 The Mini Page Publishing Company Inc.
from The Mini Page by Betty Debnam © 2004 The Mini Page Publishing Company Inc.
A KID ’ S
G U I D E T O T HE
WHI T E HO U S E
Betty Debnam
Kids!
Kids!You're
You're
tothe
the
Invited
Invited to
White
White House
House
A Kid’s Guide to the White
House is a terrific behind-the-scenes
look at a very special house.
Written with the cooperation of the
White House Historical Association, the
book is full of fun information, photos
(some in full color) and puzzles that
kids of all ages will enjoy.
To order, send $8.95 plus $3.25 for postage and handling for each copy. Send check or money order (U.S.
funds only) payable to: Andrews McMeel Universal, P.O. Box 6814, Leawood, KS 66206.
Please send ________ copies of A Kid’s Guide to The White House (Item #2153-2) at $12.20 each, including
postage and handling. Toll free number 1-800-591-2097. www.smartwarehousing.com
Name: ______________________________________________________________________________________________
Address: ____________________________________________________________________________________________
TM
All the following jokes have something in common. Can
you guess the common theme or category?
Tess: Where does a fish keep its money?
Frank: In its gill-fold!
Marie: Why are fishermen so stingy?
Hans: Because their profession makes
them shell-fish!
Casey: There is no fishing allowed here!
Walt: But I was fishing quietly!
City: ____________________________________________________________State: ______________ Zip: ____________
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®
3-4 (04); release dates: January 10-16
Distributed by Universal Press Syndicate
from The Mini Page by Betty Debnam © 2004 The Mini Page Publishing Company Inc.
Republican candidate
President
George W. Bush
is running for his
second term. He
will be on the
Republican
ballot, but has
competition in
some states.
George W. Bush, Texas
Occupation: oil industry
businessman.
Served two terms as
Texas governor. Son of
former President
George H. W. Bush.
The race begins
This month, all of the country is
watching Iowa and New Hampshire,
and that’s exactly what Iowa and
New Hampshire want!
These two states take great pride
in being the first to let the rest of
the country know what their voters
think of the presidential candidates.
Since this is such an important
news event, candidates spend a
great deal of time in these two
states. They want to make a good
first impression on American voters.
Iowa’s
caucus is
Jan. 19.
2004 Democratic candidates
Before any of these candidates can be their party’s choice to
run for president, they must win votes in state primary and
caucus elections. If they do not win enough votes or raise
enough money to pay for their campaign, some will drop out of
the race before the convention in July.
Carol Moseley Braun,
Illinois
Occupation: lawyer.
Served in the U.S.
Senate for one term.
Served as ambassador
to New Zealand.
Wesley K. Clark,
Arkansas
Occupation: retired
Army general.
Served 34 years in the
U.S. Army.
Howard Dean,
Vermont
Occupation: doctor.
Served as lieutenant
governor of Vermont,
then governor for five
two-year terms.
John Edwards, North
Carolina
Occupation: lawyer.
Has served as U.S.
senator from North
Carolina for one term.
Richard A. Gephardt,
Missouri
Occupation: lawyer.
Served in the U.S. House
of Representatives
since 1976.
John Kerry,
Massachusetts
Occupation: lawyer.
Decorated war veteran.
Served in the U.S.
Senate since 1984.
Dennis J. Kucinich, Ohio
Occupation: college
professor.
Served as mayor of
Cleveland. Has served
four terms in the U.S.
House of Representatives.
Joseph Lieberman,
Connecticut
Occupation: lawyer.
Elected to the U.S. Senate
for three terms. Was the
Democratic nominee for
vice president in the 2000
election.
Al Sharpton, New York
Occupation: minister
and worker for civil
rights.
New
Hampshire’s
primary is
Jan. 27.
• The District of Columbia is holding a
Democratic presidential primary on Jan.
13. This is earlier than in the past. One
purpose is to call attention to the fact
that the district is not a state and would
like to become one.
The Mini Page thanks Dennis Berwyn, N.C.
Republican Party communications director;
Aymie Walshe, executive director, Maine
Democratic Party; and Nancy E. Tate,
executive director of the League of Women
Voters, for help with this issue.
Site to See: League of
Women Voters at:
www.dnet.org.
Please include all of the appropriate registered trademark symbols and copyright lines in any publication of The Mini Page®.
Read all about
the presidential
election
in
®
Distributed by Universal Press Syndicate
by Betty Debnam
Appearing in your
newspaper on ____________.
from The Mini Page by Betty Debnam
© 2004 The Mini Page Publishing Company Inc.
(Note to Editor: Above is cameraready, one column-by-41/4-inch ad
promoting Issue 3.)
release dates: January 10-16
3-5 (04)
from The Mini Page by Betty Debnam © 2004 The MIni Page Publishing Company Inc.
®
Distributed by Universal Press Syndicate
Standards Spotlight:
The Presidential Election
TM
from The Mini Page by Betty Debnam © 2004 The Mini Page Publishing Company Inc.
Mini Page activities meet many state and national educational standards. Each
week we identify standards that relate to The Mini Page’s content and offer
activities that will help your students reach them.
Supersport: Yao Ming
This week’s standards:
Height: 7-5
Birthdate: 9-12-80
Weight: 296
Hometown: Shanghai, China
At 7 feet, 5 inches and 296 pounds, Yao Ming
stands out in almost every crowd. He also is
outstanding in the giant world of basketball.
Ming, the No. 1 pick in the 2002 NBA draft, stars
for the Houston Rockets. He scores around the
basket and from long range. He blocks shots and grab rebounds.
Before coming to America, Ming — nicknamed the “Great Wall”
— was a superstar for six years with the Shanghai Sharks in
China. He impressed NBA scouts with his performance against the
U.S. Olympic Dream Team in 2000.
Ming is also a big hit with advertising agencies. He appears in
several TV commercials. In his spare time, Yao likes to surf the
Internet, listen to music and read. What he’d like to do most, however,
is launch the Rockets to a championship. And he just might do it.
• Students distinguish among legal, state and national government, and identify
representative leaders at these levels. (Social Studies: Power, Authority and Governance)
• Students understand issues involving the rights, roles and status of the individual in relation
to the general welfare. (Social Studies: Power, Authority and Governance)
Activities:
1. Design a poster encouraging people to vote in your state’s primary or caucus.
2. Collect pictures of the president and the Democratic candidates. Paste each picture on an
index card. Then write information about the candidate on the back of the card.
3. Look at the Democratic candidates in today’s Mini Page. Which candidates (a) are lawyers,
(b) served in the U.S. House of Representatives, (c) served in the U.S. Senate, (d) held a state
office, and (e) served in the military?
4. Read the letters to the editor on the editorial page of your newspaper. Watch for letters about
the Republican or Democratic candidates. What do people say to support their favorite
candidates? Which candidate is named in the most letters on your editorial page?
5. Use your critical thinking skills to follow the candidates. Select three Democratic candidates
to follow. Then divide a piece of paper into four columns. Write President Bush’s name at the
top of one column. Write the names of the candidates you’ve selected at the top of the other
columns. Read the newspaper over several weeks. Write comments made by each of the four
candidates on your paper. Compare the four candidates’ views on different topics. Where are
they similar? Where do they differ? Which candidate’s viewpoints are closest to your own?
(standards by Dr. Sherrye D. Garrett, Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi)
(Note to Editor: Above is the Standards for Issue 3.)
(Note to Editor: Above is copy block for Page 3, Issue 3, to be used
in place of ad if desired.)
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