6 The Kid Is All Right

Lisa befriends a new student named Isabel Gutierrez. She is thrilled until Isabel reveals that she is a Republican (and to make matters worse, when Lisa asks her if she is a Lincoln or a Reagan Republican or even a George H.W. Bush Republican, Isabel says no). The two girls end up running against each other for class president, and the Springfield Republican Party tells Isabel they are thrilled with her decision and want to offer their services, as she is the kind of Latina voter the GOP will need in the future. However, Isabel tells them to butt out, because she is not going to be "owned" by them. The GOP decides to use some dirty tricks anyway, and Lisa is angry with Isabel when she thinks her classmate supported the actions, but respects her when she learns the local GOP people are just acting like jerks. In a class debate, Lisa tells the assembled students that if believing that those with a lot should help those with nothing makes her a liberal, then yes, she is a liberal and proud of it. At the final debate, the two walk away from their podia and Isabel says they want to set aside politics and would be happy for whichever of them wins, Lisa goes to say the same, and is cut off by Superintendent Chalmers, saying they are out of time. The election goes to Isabel in a close vote, but Lisa is extremely heartened by an exit poll that reveals 53% of the students agree with her views; she says that this means they do not like her, but would vote for someone who shares her ideas, and that is a happy end result.