It’s Anyone’s Race

At xyza: news for kids, we’ve been covering the 2016 presidential election and will continue to do so with much gusto! In this news bite, we’re focusing on the idea of the “underdog”. Although it might not seem like it now, Donald Trump, Hillary Clinton, and Bernie Sanders are all underdogs in their own right. We hope this news bite helps parents start great conversations around the dinner table.

Stranger things have happened: In 1988, an unknown bobsled team from Jamaica (a country that has rarely even seen a dusting of snow) surprised the world by qualifying for the winter Olympic games. Although they didn’t take home a medal, they made it much further than anyone had ever imagined they would. More recently, the Leicester City English Football team won the Premier League title even though all the odds were against them. These underdog stories (or stories about people or teams that had very little chance of winning) are those that really make people sit up and take notice.

Some could argue that the three remaining presidential candidates are each underdogs in their own right. How, you might ask?

Well, first there’s Donald Trump. He’s the billionaire businessman who has no experience in politics, but is now the presumed Republican Party’s presidential nominee.

Then there is Hillary Clinton of the Democratic Party. Even with political experience, she’s lost the nomination before. If elected, she’d be the first female President of the United States.

Finally, there’s Bernie Sanders, also of the Democratic Party. He’s the oldest person ever to run for President of the United States and is running a campaign that suggests radical changes in the country.

How this presidential election will turn out remains to be seen, but one thing’s for sure: you can never count anyone out until the very end. Stay tuned for more about the U.S. presidential election in this month’s xyza.