How I, an 11-Year-Old From New Hampshire, Became ‘Political’

Hi all,

These past few months, I have been working on several written pieces for various outlets. Yesterday, my first one was published.

I will be writing for the non-profit news organization WhoWhatWhy throughout the year on US politics, youth engagement, the 2024 election, and other topics.

Here is an excerpt of my piece with the full article linked below:

My Star Turn as a ‘Pathetic Political Prop’

"The next day, the Laura Ingraham show ran a segment titled “Politicians using kids as props.” In their version of events, I was a “pathetic political prop” who was “coached” on my question. After the clip from the event played, Ingraham exclaimed, “Kids say the darndest things!” to which her co-host added, “…that they are coached to say.” The segment ended with “What 11-year-old is concerned about any of these guys?” 

Well, I was. I knew enough about history and politics to believe that real questions mattered. And I didn’t care what anyone’s dog was named. 

Laura Ingraham — as distasteful as her methods are and as teary-eyed as they made that 11-year-old — prepared me well for what she called the “toxic soup” of politics. I must have watched her diss me a thousand times, but after that, not much fazed or impressed me, including politicians and journalists. Thanks, Laura." 

How I, an 11-Year-Old From New Hampshire, Became ‘Political’ - WhoWhatWhy

More of us, especially the young voters and soon-to-be voters, need to get more involved, show up, and ask hard questions.

WhoWhatWhyQuinn Mitchell

Email me at QuinnMitchell2024@gmail.com with any feedback or questions!

Thanks for reading,

Quinn