Listen & Learn

February 20th is President's Day in the United States. Many Americans may be aware that two of the nation's best known chief executives were born in February -- Abraham Lincoln on the 12th and George Washington on the 22nd. But how many people know that George Washington preferred bowing to shaking hands, or that Abraham Lincoln's favorite sport was wrestling? 10 year old Noah McCullough, includes those bits of information and much more in The Essential Book of Presidential Trivia, just published by Random House. The Texas native has been hailed as America's youngest Presidential historian, and he is already planning his own bid for the nation's highest office in the year 2032. If Noah McCullough gets to fulfill his dream and run for President some day, he will already have plenty of experience with the media. At age 10, Noah has reported on politics for Scholastic Magazine, appeared on nationwide television programs like The Tonight Show, and acted as a spokesperson for Progress for America, a conservative advocacy group. The staunch young Republican says his interest in politics dates back to the 2000 Presidential campaign, when his school held a mock election. "So I asked my teachers if my vote was an electoral vote or a regular vote, if I was a delegate or if I was a regular voter, and they didn't know. Then I asked my parents to give me a Presidents' book for my birthday. And so they gave me a President's book for my birthday, and I read that, and then I read more and more, and learned more along the way." Out of all that reading came The Essential Book of Presidential Trivia, in which Noah McCullough details everything from the names Presidents gave their pets to the historic milestones that took place during their terms in office. What surprised him most after all his reaserch? "The normal people that were serving in an extraordinary position. Lyndon Johnson bought his wife's wedding ring for $2.50 at Sears." Among the presidents with birthdays this month, first of all we have George Washington. What did you learn about him that you included in this book? "Well, He had only one tooth at the inauguration, and I want to put to rest a myth called 'his wooden teeth' He never had wooden teeth. They were dentures, and it passed down to become made out of wood." And you write out that his was also a great dancer. "He was an excellent dancer. And decorating he was incredible. He was like an America's first Renaissance's man" And how about Abraham Lincoln? What did you learn about him? "Well, Lincoln never slept in the Lincoln Bedroom at the White House. It wasn't created by the time he was there. And Abraham Lincoln was the first President born outside of the 13 original colonies. He was born in Kentucky." So who is your favorite Presidents? "George Washington, Abraham Lincoln and George W. Bush. And George Washington because America was clay, and he made it a masterpiece;Abraham Lincoln because he withstood a war that was very hard for America. I mean It ripped it apart. It was brother against brother, but he made the best decisions that he could. He was very unpopular during that war. And (within) 20 to 40 years later he was considered a great President. So I think that George W. Bush, in 20 to 40 years, will be a very popular and great President." Have you had any chance to meet any presidents yourself?"I've met George W. Bush, Jimmy Carter, and George H.W. Bush . So what impressions did you get of them? "Well, Jimmy Carter told me that he wouldn't vote for me in 2032 on the Republican ticket which is when I'm running, He said I would have to be a Democrat and his grandkids might be running." George W. Bush with his father, George H.W. Bush "And George W. Bush -- he shook my hand, and he said that he would vote for me in 2032. And George H.W. Bush, he's funny,coz he promised me his vote, but I asked him how does it feel to be one of the few people in all the world to have spanked the current leader of the free world? He said that he didn't know the feeling because he didn't spank George W. -- Mrs. Bush did." Now you've tested your knowledge of Presidential history against some pretty tough competition on TV, including former presidential candidate Howard Deanand journalist Tim Russert. Do you remember any questions that trip them up? "Who was the first President born in a hospital? That tripped them up. The answer is Jimmy Carter." And you also got a chance to interview another presidential candidate for Scholastic Magazine John Kerry. What were you most interested in the asking him? "I just asked him for some advice how he feels and when he thinks will be the outcome of the election. And then he said 'so are you gonna be a journalist when you grow up?' And then I said, 'No, I'm gonnabe the President of the United States in 2032,' and he said 'What party?' and then my dad just picked me up and left the room." So what do you choose as the most important to you as a future presidential candidate? "Well, you know, I'm not gonna set my platform for 26 years from now, coz you don't know what's gonna be the problem then but two issues that I'm very concerned about right now is our social security and juvenile diabetes. That's why I donated part of my proceeds to Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation. JDRF." "What do you learn from studying presidents, that you think will prepare you for the presidency yourself? "You know, I've learnt that you got to look at history because a lot of the answers to problems are in our past history, and also you have to stand your ground and make decisions on your own basis. You can't live by the popularity polls. You have to live by what you believe in." Noah McCullough is already getting a first hand feel for what life in the White House might be like. He has decorated his bedroom like the President's Oval Office, complete with a big flag, bookshelves and a Presidential seal.

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