The Kid Who Ran for President

The book’s satirizing of the election process and Office of the President of the United States begins in these chapters. In Chapter 3, Judson sarcastically says that being a moron doesn’t disqualify him from running for president, a disparaging statement about the office and election process. This statement reminds the reader that anyone can run for president, even a “moron” or a person who knows nothing of politics. The line also satirizes past presidents, suggesting they may have been “morons.”

Chapter 4 shows Judson’s focus on family values, which equates to barely understood conversations at the dinner table. This depiction suggests that family values are not inherently meaningful beyond election season.

The details of Judson’s campaign strategy in Chapter 6 maintain the satire and formally introduce the idea of campaigns being partly for show. Changing his pet parakeet’s name to something Americans might consider more respectable shows how every little detail can affect a candidate's run, even things that have nothing to do with the presidency. Judson’s decision to run as an Independent, rather than based on firmly held beliefs, comes about because doing requires the least amount of work.

Judson’s selections for running mate and First Babe speak to the image a candidate cultivates while running for office. June, an adult African American woman, is selected because Judson recognizes her as a wise adult—a valuable addition to a ticket headlined by a 12-year-old. Choosing Chelsea over Abby for First Babe also is all about image. As a good-looking girl and a model, Chelsea offers a better image, even though appearance has no bearing on a candidate’s ability to perform official duties. The use of “babe” in place of “lady” also shows how Chelsea’s selection is all about looks, as “babe” connotes attractiveness (and fits the vocabulary of the candidate).