[1] In the episode, Homer Simpson's inadvertent destruction of Springfield's fast-food district leads to the town holding the first presidential primaries for 2008 to fund reconstruction, attracting politicians and political journalists from across the country.
Having eventually grown weary of the influx, Springfieldians attempt to drive the newcomers out by electing the most ridiculous candidate possible, the general choice ultimately being local second-grader Ralph Wiggum.
Nonetheless, U.S. reviews were generally positive, and Michael Price was nominated for the Writers Guild of America Award in the animation category for writing the episode.
After filling up, he decides to throw away his wrappers and the contents of his car in a trash can in the shape of Sideshow Mel's head outside of a Krusty Burger, tossing away a leaky battery and a lit match.
As the next election is not until June the next year, Mayor Quimby moves it to the upcoming Tuesday, making Springfield's presidential primary the first in the nation.
The same night, Kent Brockman announces an unexpected turn of events: Springfield has rejected all the leading candidates and voted for 8-year-old Ralph Wiggum.
Ralph tells Lisa he wants to run so he can bring peace between warring parties and his earnest kind heartedness wins her support.
[12] Five days after the episode was broadcast, Dan Snierson of Entertainment Weekly reveals that it received positive reviews from the site, and Ralph Wiggum had their vote.
Carl's comment is a reference to the Dirty War in Argentina, a period of military dictatorship (1976–1983) during which as many as 30,000[15] Argentines disappeared, and is largely regarded as having begun during Perón's last government with the Triple A, a death squad which killed many left-wing dissidents.
The clip was viewed on YouTube over ten thousand times in Argentina and some politicians in the country called for the episode to be censored or banned.
[16] Lorenzo Pepe, former Argentinian congressman and president of the Juan Domingo Perón Institute said "this type of program causes great harm, because the disappearances are still an open wound here.