The TV Zone

So who did the kids pick when it comes to the presidency? “Nick News” asked its viewers to vote online last week in its first-ever Kids Pick the President primary, and 80,000 of them did.

Sen. John McCain was the Republican winner, with 24 percent of that party’s vote, while Sen. Barack Obama took the Democratic nod with 46 percent of those e-ballots. Kids take this stuff seriously, as evidenced at Nick’s busy KPP message boards.

The choice came after Nickelodeon’s Jan. 13 “Kids Primary” special, which explained that preliminary part of the process to young viewers. Two more “Nick News” specials are coming down the pike: “Kids Pick the Issues” in March, and October’s “Kids Pick the President,” leading to an online general-election vote. Nick says kids have accurately predicted the presidential winner in four of the last five elections.

The campaign specials also encore as part of Nickelodeon’s commercial-free Cable in the Classroom education lineup Wednesday and Friday mornings at 6 a.m. (TV schedule here.) Teachers can also download resource materials.