The Kid Who Ran for President

The name “Lemonade Party” for Judson’s political party has two meanings. First, the name links to Judson’s lemonade stand and comes after that event. Second, it is a pun on the Tea Party, a political movement that began within the Republican Party in 2009. Beyond sharing names with drinks, the two have little in common, demonstrating how similar terminology within the political arena can have different meanings and cause confusion. The Tea Party itself builds on this idea. While it has “party” in its name, it is not its own party (like the Democratic or Republican Parties). Instead, “Party” has a different meaning here, hinting at the Boston Tea Party but also causing some confusion about what the Tea Party is.

These chapters offer a juxtaposition of imagery between Judson the candidate and Judson the regular kid, although there is a blurring between the two. While conducting interviews and holding events, candidate Judson often states that he is just a kid, a backhanded way of saying that kids might know more than they let on. Candidate Judson, who is less informed than Lane about politics, acknowledges that grown-ups haven’t fixed all the problems in America, suggesting a kid could do better. Meanwhile, Chapter 12 shows regular kid Judson at home with his parents, who make it clear he still needs to do his schoolwork during his campaign.