The Kid Who Ran For President by Dan Gutman Read Free Book Online Page A

called syndication.”
    â€œAre you going to write an article about me that will run every where?” I asked.
    â€œYou got it, kid. You’re going to be all over the news tomorrow morning.”
    I gulped. Lane was beaming from ear to ear. He was taking this run for president seriously . He must have taken the clipping that appeared in the Capital Times and sent it to the Associated Press.
    One day I was a fairly anonymous kid who liked to ride his bike and go fishing. The next day, virtually every man, woman, and child in America would know my name.

The instant I opened my eyes the next morning, I knew my life would never be the same.
    The phone rang at 5:30. A lady asked if I was Judson Moon. When I told her I was, she said, “Judson, I’m Ann Curry with The Today Show . Could I talk with you live on the air this morning?”
    â€œVery funny,” I said groggily, and hung up the phone. It was too early for practical jokes.
    But as soon as the receiver hit the cradle, the phone rang again.
    â€œJudson Moon?” a woman’s voice asked. “The boy who’s running for president?”
    â€œYes?”
    â€œI’m Rebecca Gardner, talent coordinator with The Tonight Show . Would you be available to appear on our program tomorrow night?”
    â€œI don’t know,” I mumbled. “I have a lot of homework this week.”
    â€œWe’ll charter a flight for you,” she offered. “First class hotel. Limousine. Would you like to visit Disneyland while you’re here? I can arrange that.”
    â€œCan you call me back in five minutes?” I asked.
    I hung up the phone and it rang again.
    â€œJudson, this is Ann Curry again. Listen, I’m sorry I woke you up. But it’s a morning show and we have to get going pretty early …”
    â€œCall back in five minutes!” I snapped at her.
    I wanted to get Lane on the phone, but every time I put down the receiver, the phone would ring again.
    Somebody from People magazine called saying they wanted to put me on the cover. The National Enquirer wanted to buy the rights to my life story. Finally I was able to speed-dial Lane.
    â€œYou gotta get over here!” I practically shouted into the phone. “America is calling!”
    â€œThe Associated Press story must have hit the papers,” he said. “I’ll be right over. Let me handle every thing.”
    I hung up the phone and it rang again. It was Mrs. Syers. She complained that TMZ had woken her up at five o’clock in the morning begging to interview her.
    I took the phone off the hook while waiting for Lane to bike over to my house. Mom and Dad rushed out to work before I had the chance to ask them if I could stay home from school. Lane wheeled into the driveway right after my folks pulled out of it.
    The phone rang about a second after we put the receiver back on the cradle.
    â€œMoon campaign headquarters,” Lane answered matter-of-factly.
    Everybody who was anybody was trying to get through. Sixty Minutes wanted me and Mrs. Syers on the show. MTV wanted to follow me around for a day with their cameras and turn my life into a reality TV show. Some Japanese TV station was willing to fly an entire camera crew to America to interview me. Ann Curry called again.
    Lane cut a deal with a big New York publisher for my life story. He told Pepsi I don’t do commercial endorsements. Watching Lane work the phone was like watching a master potter mold a vase out of clay.
    When the smoke had cleared, Mrs. Syers and I were scheduled to appear on The Today Show , The Tonight Show , The Late Show , The Daily Show , and Good Morning America . I would be on the cover of People , Sports Illustrated for Kids , Time , and Boys’ Life .
    Hardball wanted me to go on their show, but only if I didn’t appear on any other TV shows. Lane told them to buzz off. He turned down requests from the TV shows, magazines, and bloggers he never