A Talk About Politics and Religion With a 4 Year Old

Here is my convo with Vessel tonight, practically verbatim.

Vessel: Who is the girl on my quarter?
Me: That's not a girl, that's a boy.
Vessel: Who is he?
Me: He was our first president. That's George Washington.
Vessel: Why does he have a pony tail?
Me: He wore a wig.
Vessel: Why?
Me: Some people just wore wigs back then.
Vessel: Was he bald?
Me: I don't know...So, anyway...do you know who our president is now?
Vessel: Yep, President Monson.
Me: No, er...I mean, who is the President of the United States?
Vessel: Um...I don't know.
Me: Our president is Barack Obama.
Vessel: Barack Obama is our prophet?
Me: No, Barack Obama is just our president. He's not a Mormon. He doesn't go to our church.
Vessel: Why?
Me: I don't know.
Vessel: Why isn't he Mormon? Why doesn't he want to learn about Jesus?
Me: (laughing) Maybe he learns about Jesus at a different church. So...anyway, Barack Obama is the leader of our country and Thomas S. Monson is the leader of our church.
Vessel: So we have 2 leaders? Why do we have 2 leaders?
Me: Well, I'm the Primary President, so I'm a leader. That means I'm in charge of the Primary. Thomas S. Monson is in charge of the entire church. Barack Obama is in charge of the entire United States, which is where we live.
Vessel: No, we live in Montana.
Me: We do, but Montana is a part of the United States.
Vessel: So Barack Obama is in charge of me?
Me: (laughing) Well, in a way, but not really.
Vessel: Does Barack Obama speak for Jesus?
Me: Uh, no, I don't think so.
Vessel: Oh. (then he lost interest in the conversation and went back to coloring.)