She gets a ticket for running a red light, she manages to take the world's worst school picture, she bombs softball try - outs and
her class election speech (note to self: never trust a cheerleader when she swears there are no nuts in her bake - sale banana bread), and to top it all off, Tristan, her gorgeous rocker boyfriend suddenly dumps her.
When the message is only about 20 percent of the students — even if you're talking about the 20 percent who really are those most in need of help (although they all deserve help, and have a civil right to it)-- it's hard to win a popular
election with that message; and listening to the candidates» impassioned
speeches about those students, even if the
speeches are nobly motivated, can feel oddly alienating and exclusive to middle
class parents who are concerned about their own children's too often declining prospects.