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Kids might not be old enough to vote yet, but they're watching, listening and have strong opinions about the campaign issues that matter most to them. Those opinions are heard in the Nick News with Linda Ellerbee special, KIDS PICK THE PRESIDENT: THE ISSUES, premiering Monday, Sept. 17, at 8 p.m. (ET/PT) on Nickelodeon. In the special, kids across the country rank and talk about important issues including same-sex marriage, education, healthcare, taxes, immigration, Iran, energy and jobs. The special features video of presidential candidates Barack Obama and Mitt Romney talking about the issues, and kids sharing their opinions on what the candidates have to say.
"A smart fellow once wrote that kids tell you what they think, not what they think they should think," says Linda Ellerbee. "We at Nick News agree. We in America choose our presidents based on many things: character, personality, family, religion, their commercials, even their looks, but as many of the kids in this show said, 'We should be focusing on the issues.'"
"The government should stay out of people's lives as much as possible," says Emily from New Jersey.
"I think the school choice debate is the wrong debate to be having. I think the right debate would be, why aren't public schools getting more funding so that they can improve?" says Rashmi from California.
"I don't think candidates are talking enough about global warming," says Isaac from New York. They're gonna be gone, and so it's our problem - the kids' problem."
The kids are not afraid to disagree, even with their own favorite candidate.
"I am a Mitt Romney supporter... but I disagree with him on the issue of same-sex marriage. It's a religious thing, and the government shouldn't be involved in that type of religious stuff," says Luke from Pennsylvania.
Dhruv from Texas respects President Obama, but questions his stance on taxes, "By increasing the tax on just the wealthiest, Obama's kind of sending out the message that if you work hard you're gonna be rewarded by having to pay the government even more."