The race for

president of Starr's Mill High School is over and Tony Tofanelli, the

candidate for the Free Liberty Party, is the winner.

He defeated

Rob Fine of the New America Party, capturing two-thirds of the votes cast

The political

campaigns waged by Tofanelli and Fine were engineered, managed and supported

Their teacher,

Mike Raymer, crafted personas for Tofanelli and Fine, along with party

platforms. There was even a "scandal day" when the candidates

were faced with embarrassing revelations about their past.

A debate focusing

on real issues preceded the voting.

Both candidates

came away enlightened. "It gave us a real in-depth perception of

a two-man election," Tofanelli said. Fine said the issues helped

him find a voice, and form an opinion on controversial subjects such as

capital punishment and abortion. "It was good for me; I never had

an opinion before," he said.

So who were

these fictional candidates and where did they stand on the issues?

Tofanelli was

a two-term congressman from Missouri. While in office, he has stressed

family values and a stronger military. In the past, Tofanelli has repeatedly

voted in favor of laws that would limit the right to abortion. Prior to

his work in Congress, Tofanelli owned and operated the largest poultry

plant in Missouri. He is married and has one child.

Fine is a two-term

governor from Vermont. As governor, he stressed free trade and education.

In the past, Fine has supported the right to abortion, as well as gay

rights/legalized gay marriages. Before he became governor, Fine was a

lawyer for the ACLU. He is married and has five children.

Some of the

issues tackled by the two included defense and foreign policy, the environment,

taxes, education, gun control, abortion and Social Security.

Raymer's class

of seniors was divided into two parties, the New America Party and the

Free Liberty Party. Their job in the course of three weeks was to nominate

a candidate, brief him on the issues, campaign and get him elected. Campaign

managers strategized and played trouble shooter when their men got into

trouble. Fine's campaign staffers even made cookies to distribute to prospective

voters, promoting cookies over guns.

The debate

found a Sunday-suited Tofanelli, standing confidently behind the podium,

while Fine, tie-less and sporty, courted his liberal followers.

Both candidates

were well versed on the issues and knew their facts. The audience was

attentive and interested.

In the end,

however, conservatism and Tofanelli won out. The victory party followed

the election with Fine and his supporters serving apple pie to Tofanneli

and his staff.

If only real

politics were this civilized.