The Kid Who Ran for President

Fiction | Novel | Middle Grade | Published in 1996

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Summary

Chapter Summaries & Analyses

Prologue-Chapter 2

Chapters 3-6

Chapters 7-10

Chapters 11-12

Chapters 13-14

Chapters 15-16

Chapters 17-18

Chapters 19-22

Chapters 23-24

Chapters 25-26

Character Analysis

Themes

Symbols & Motifs

Important Quotes

Essay Topics

Tools

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Discussion Questions

Themes

Media Attention Turns Important Events into a Show

Throughout The Kid Who Ran for President, the media plays a significant role in Judson’s campaign and the overall election process. With all the attention given to appearances and showing people what they want to see, Lane remarks that the presidential race “might as well be selling soap” (5). The way media covers the election, events and promotions, and Judson’s image shows how the election becomes entertainment in the public eye.

Many news stories that involve the election contain information that is, at best, tangentially related to the election itself. In Chapter 18, Judson remembers a story about President White’s dog pooping during an event. Rather than the president’s remarks or the event's details, the dog’s action is what made the news. The video of the dog also became a YouTube sensation, prompting the president’s approval rating to drop. The Moongate scandal also shows how the most insignificant items become newsworthy. While stealing papers could be serious, things like changing a pet’s name have no bearing on the election. They are news because, alongside the more important issues, they evoke emotion and are entertaining. Entertainment value is equally, if not more, important than the facts of the election.

Promotional materials show how the most visually appealing and entertaining aspects capture attention. Judson’s last name is Moon, so Lane uses moon imagery to make Judson stand out as a candidate. Judson’s commercial in Chapter 18 launches his approval rating, even though the commercial has nothing to do with how Judson can help the country as president. The commercial is amusing, and its central message is that Judson knows nothing about leading America. Still, people like it, so their opinion of Judson rises. Judson’s opponents are never shown with interesting or entertaining promotional materials, which may directly affect their approval ratings.

Image plays a significant role in Judson’s presidential campaign. Choosing Chelsea as his First Lady and renaming his parakeet, regardless of whether they are newsworthy items, give Judson an edge during his campaign. Chelsea is outgoing and energetic. Her movement to save the silkworms endears her to America. People like her, which makes them like Judson by association. Though Judson dislikes wearing suits, Lane insists that Judson dress presentably because he needs to project an adult image, despite being a 12-year-old boy. Judson needs to show America what they want to see, proving that his image is more important than his stance on issues or his political know-how.

Through media coverage, promotional materials, and events that emphasize the importance of image, The Kid Who Ran for President illustrates how the presidential election becomes a “show.” People want to be entertained, and the most outlandish and individual displays capture attention better than ones that demonstrate understanding or proficiency. Whether it makes sense or not, entertainment influences how people vote.

Emotions Influence the Decision-Making Process

Judson, the other characters, and the American voters make emotional decisions. Sometimes those emotional choices align with what makes sense, but other times they don’t, showing the power emotions hold over decisions. Through the characters’ decisions and the public response to Judson’s campaign strategy, The Kid Who Ran for President illustrates the role emotions play in the decision-making process.

Judson and the other characters make decisions based on feelings. Lane’s entire argument behind Judson running for president stems from feeling like a loser when he was younger. Lane believes he will somehow make up for all those lost games of King of the Hill if Judson wins the election. Deep down, Lane knows Judson isn’t qualified to run America, but his emotional strife buries that knowledge, which he justifies by saying, “People don’t want a smart president” (5). Emotions also influence Judson’s decisions. Judson is a practical joker, and initially, his presidential run is a big joke because he wants to get a rise out of people. Getting a reaction from others makes Judson feel good about himself, and the election is a chance to get reactions on a national scale.

June and Guerra show how decisions are made despite the influence of emotions. At first, June doesn’t want to be Judson’s running mate because she doesn’t want to get embroiled in politics. She knows nothing good can come of entering the presidential race. Ultimately, she decides to run with Judson because she feels for him and knows he could get in trouble. He needs guidance and someone to watch over him, so she puts her feelings aside to be the vice-presidential candidate. Toward the end of the book, Guerra breaks the Moongate scandal. Though he knows the story isn’t newsworthy, it will get lots of attention during the election. He publishes it because of the emotional effect it will have on America’s people. Deep down, he knows publishing the story will hurt Judson, but he pushes his emotions aside to advance his career.

The public response to Judson is the ultimate argument for emotional decision-making. At interviews and the debate, Judson answers questions with nonsense, spewing whatever he thinks will get the greatest reaction. Despite this, many Americans love him, as evidenced by his increasing approval ratings throughout his campaign. When the people think Judson lied to them by withholding the information revealed in the Moongate scandal, his approval drops. Then when Judson apologizes and comes clean, his approval rises again. The American people are quick to judge and forgive based on their emotions at the moment. Emotional decision-making allows Judson to win the election. Americans know he isn’t qualified for the job, but they vote for him because he's different, and they like that.

Throughout the book, the characters’ decisions and the American public's reaction show the role emotions play in making choices. Emotional decisions are prone to be overturned quickly and lead to negative outcomes, but people still make choices based on how they feel, showing how choices and emotions cannot be fully separated from one another.

Being Flawed Isn’t Necessarily Bad

Often, people and things are expected to be perfect, and the moment they are revealed to have flaws, they are tossed aside as bad or useless. As a satire, The Kid Who Ran for President exposes imperfections in the United States election system, but these flaws don’t mean the system is entirely broken. In addition to the election process, Judson and his campaign show how the presence of flaws is not inherently bad.

Throughout the book, media coverage and the emphasis on image show that the election is not just about picking the most qualified candidate for the job. Instead, the election showcases the candidates’ private lives and even the littlest things that could make them appear less than perfect. As seen with the Moongate scandal, people lose faith when someone they look up to is revealed as imperfect. Judson is human, and he has done things he isn’t proud of. Everyone has, but Moongate brings Judson’s mistakes into the spotlight, causing people to toss away all the things they like about him because of this mistake. When Judson apologizes, his imperfection changes from the thing that broke his image to the thing that makes him human. His flaws don’t make him bad. They just make him like everyone else, even if people have difficulty seeing this.

Toward the end of the book, Judson realizes his entire campaign was a mistake. He knows he isn’t qualified, and he feels as if he’s spent months lying to America, offering them an option for president who should not be elected. When Judson throws the debate, he does so because he feels his campaign is flawed beyond repair. In truth, his campaign is flawed, but there are many worthwhile things within it, such as the idea of a political outsider gaining a foothold in the election. Judson’s joking approach to his campaign angers Lane, who yells at Judson that “everything is a goof with you” (133), but this doesn’t make Judson bad, only flawed.

In Chapter 18, Lane explains to Judson that he doesn’t have to keep his campaign promises, which exposes another flaw in the election system. Since the media sensationalizes the election, candidates must focus on drawing attention to themselves by saying or doing whatever is necessary, rather than dedicating their resources to real and tangible goals. As a result, the election is built on images and lies supplemented by truths. In Chapter 26, Lane reflects that winning the popular vote doesn’t necessarily mean winning the election and expounds on the difficulties of the Electoral College system. While these are definite flaws, they do not mean the election process is broken. There is potentially room for improvement, but that doesn’t mean the entire system should be trashed.

The election system and Judson’s campaign are flawed, but neither is inherently bad. America was built upon the idea of the people’s vote, a system that may need tweaking but that still has strong roots. While Judson makes mistakes, he, like anyone else, is flawed but still a worthwhile person. People and concepts are not perfect, and expecting them to be so only sets up for disappointment. Flaws are natural and do not mean something is worthless.