Kids for Ron Paul

We wrote earlier this week about the fading youth enthusiasm for Obama -- among the under-16 set, that is. And new poll of pre-teen New Hampshire students offers some unscientific support for the anecdotes we've been hearing.

Also, the kids' new apparent favorite? Ron Paul.

The Texas congressman took first place in the Kids Primary, a poll of fifth- and sixth-graders at St. Anselm College in New Hampshire. The poll included about 250 students from around the state who visited St. Anselm to learn about the importance of the New Hampshire primary. (It is, just perhaps, possible that that Paulites are as zealous about insisting their kids participate in such things as they are in other, equally relevant straw polls.)

Romney, the current New Hampshire frontrunner, came in fourth behind Bachmann and Cain on the GOP side. And though students had the option of voting Democratic, only 39 out of the 250 chose to cast their vote for Obama.

We'll be keeping an eye on the kid vote as the campaign progresses.