What if politics weren't something you could ignore? What if you went home, and there it was--legislation, campaigns and debates about the future of America?

That's what life is like for the sons and daughters of Congress members.

Representative Tom Davis, a Republican from Virginia, has three kids. They say their dad isn't all that different from the other dads in the neighborhood. He doesn't ALWAYS talk about politics, he's not fake or phony and he still finds time to watch their baseball games and help with their homework.

files

Shelley on talking politics with dad

Carlton debates Social Security with his father

Carlton, Pamela and Shelley on what politicians are really like

How does the son of a Republicans feel about Democrats?

But having a political dad does make a difference at election time. Every two years, when Representative Davis is up for reelection, the Davis kids pass out campaign buttons, stickers and other paraphernalia at speeches, fairs, stores and other community events.

According to 13-year-old Pamela, the job sometimes entails a little more. "He has these elephant costumes and a lot of times, in parades and stuff, I'll wear one, sit in the car and wave to all the people and throw out candy," she says.

When they were younger, the Davis crew rode on an elephant (the official animal of the Republican party) in the Fairfax parade. They all agree that was one of the funnest things they had to do to help their dad, even though spending the day on top of an elephant can get a little smelly.

Carlton, 16-years-old, says sometimes passing out pamphlets can be a drag. "As much as I feel bad saying this, I'm reluctant to do so... I'm not a people person... I probably wouldn't want to be hassled with this stuff so I don't want to bug people and then have them get angry."

There are also political dinners and speeches that 10-year-old Shelley describes as "boring." Pamela says, "the speeches are fun, but I don't like talking to all those people. They come up to me and ask me these questions and I don't know what to say. Like, 'What's it like being the congressman's daughter?'"

Having a politician dad means public attention, which is not always glamorous. Carlton recalls that in 1995, Vice President Al Gore's 16-year-old daughter was found holding an open container of beer at a party. Because of her father's position, it was reported on the local TV news.

"You've really got to watch how you act," Carlton says. "And you've got to be nice to people at school even if you don't like them ... Because they'll go home and say, 'Oh I met this horrible kid. His name is Carlton.' They might draw a connection there and it could lose him some votes or something."

The public exposure of their father's office also worries Pamela and Shelley. Local protests about a congressional issue have spilled over onto their lawn.

Once, when the family was on vacation, protesters gathered in front of the house. "The police called us and said, 'Be expecting some mobs of people coming down your street,'" Pamela recalls. "They were holding signs and stuff and marching out in front, protesting against my dad."

Ten-year-old Shelley says that the exposure used to give her nightmares. "If people do get mad at my dad, I'm sort of scared they could kill my dad or hurt one of us."

"I used to have these thoughts when I was 12 and 13," Carlton adds. "If someone disliked [what my dad] was saying... I mean, you have the nut who breaks into the Capitol and kills police officers... If someone were mad at dad, it'd be so easy for them to just walk in our door and start firing away. I don't know why I'd think something that extreme, though. It's kind of weird."

"But these are isolated events you think about every 10 months or so," Carlton is quick to point out. "I don't want to make it sound like it's scary or something. It's not like that at all."

Sometimes, the media exposure is not necessarily a bad thing. Last fall, when a news program wanted to interview Representative Davis, he told the producers that he had to go to Carlton's baseball game. So the TV cameras showed up at the high school baseball game.. "It was really embarrassing, but cool at the same time," says Carlton. (Even though they lost the game.)

TV is not always fun when you live in a political family. Sometimes when the Davis kids are watching their favorite shows, they end up seeing negative ads about their father.

Shelley once ran into a woman passing out flyers that criticized her father's political beliefs. "They said stuff about him that wasn't very nice," she says. "We asked the lady [passing them out] about him and she didn't even know who he was. So we said we'd take the flyers and pass them out... Well, we didn't pass them out."

Shelley acknowledges she's somewhat bothered by the negative side of campaigns. "I don't like people talking rude about any person I know."

Carlton calls this "politics as usual.... Most of that stuff's probably made up anyway." He understands that politics can be nasty. "And that's just a part of the job, part of the way things go. You just have to become accustomed to it."

KidsvotingUSA

Rock the Vote

Vote-Smart's guide voting

PBS Young Americans