The Kid Who Ran for President

The next day, Judson, June, and Lane gather at Judson’s house for the interview and set up a lemonade stand. The stand draws a crowd, including Guerra and his team of camera people. Guerra asks Judson why he’s running for president, to which Judson responds that “grown-ups have had the last one thousand years to mess up the world” (55), and now it’s a kid’s turn. Judson delivers more wisecracking answers to Guerra’s other questions, so Guerra switches to interviewing June, which doesn’t go much differently.

The lemonade stand raises $65. Judson is disappointed, but Lane is pleased. The point of the stand was to make the news, not to make money, because once they’re on the news, the “money will come later” (58).

That night, the news plays Judson’s interview on television. Following the segment, family, friends, and strangers call Judson’s house to talk to him. Finally, Judson’s parents take the phone off the hook and demand to know why Judson didn’t tell them about this. Judson argues he did tell them: “You just weren’t listening” (61). Finally, they settle down and say it’s fine that Judson runs for president as long as he gets his homework done.