Barack Obama handily won the national race, but students at St. Stanislaus Kostka School in Greenpoint made a maverick decision when they elected Sen. John McCain on Tuesday.
Students at the Driggs Avenue Catholic school bucked the national polls when voted for the Maverick and his Hockey Mom vice president, who defeated Obama 146 to 129.
Three third-party ballots were cast.
The voters — who ranged from experienced eighth graders to the unpredictable pre-kindergarten “youth vote” — made their choices after hearing stump speeches from students who impersonated the candidates.
And don’t think for a moment that children in the nation’s Democratic stronghold voted for McCain just to be rebellious.
“I think the issues the students cared the most about were lowering or raising taxes and jobs — and among the older students, the pro-life or pro-choice issue,” said St. Stan’s principal Sister Dorothea Jurkowski.
Makes sense; George W. Bush carried the kiddie vote in the 2004 election.
“I wasn’t surprised that McCain won,” said Jurkowski. “But I am surprised by how close it was.”
