The Kid Who Ran for President

“When you shake a zillion hands, you learn the fine art of handshaking. You don’t hold the other person’s hand too loosely, and you don’t squeeze it like you’re trying to show them how strong you are either. You grab the hand firmly. Look the other person straight in the eye. One pump does it.

Timing is crucial. You can’t let go a millisecond too soon or a millisecond too late.

People respect a good handshake. Do it perfectly, and nothing else you do or say much matters. You’ve just about got that man or woman’s vote.”

These lines from Judson’s thoughts show a few things about the campaign process. First, it keeps with the theme that the election is partly a show. Rather than knowledge or experience, a good handshake wins votes and support, and the details of that handshake, like the details of the media coverage, matter. Judson’s observation about making handshakes just right reflects the balance required in a campaign. Everything, handshakes included, must fall into place if a candidate wants to keep their favor with the people.

“‘Sixth grade!’ she marveled. ‘The perfect grade! When you’re in sixth grade, you know every thing in the world there is to know. In fourth grade, you know nothin’. In fifth grade, you know nothin’. And then suddenly you hit sixth grade and you know it all. Nobody can tell you nothin’. Then a funny thing happens when you get older and become a grown-up.’

‘What’s that, Mrs. Syers?’

‘You don’t know nothin’ again,’ she said, breaking out in her cackling laugh. ‘Strangest thing.’”

This conversation between June and Judson calls to the confidence of youth. June pinpoints sixth grade and age 12 as the age of knowledge, implying that this is the time in life when it seems like one knows everything. After this age, people supposedly know nothing again, suggesting a few things. It may be, as June hints, that the confidence of sixth grade makes it seem like one knows all there is to know. Gutman may also be commenting on the education system, pointing out that the basics of knowledge (math, language, etc.) are learned in sixth grade.