"buying the presidency" scene in final ep of "Malcolm in the Middle"

[Lisa]

Classic!

Did anyone else catch it? Malcolm is tempted to skip Harvard and try to become a tech millionaire, but his mom weighs in -- she tells him that she wants him to enter public service, because she believes that only someone who comes from a working family could understand what it's like.

Malcolm tells her that if gets rich enough, he could just use the money to win public office ... but his mom observes that someone who gets in that way would be a bad President. Having to work his way through school, and try hard to get everyone to like him, will make him into the kind of person who doesn't have to show everyone how bright he is -- more patient, and more compassionate.

By the way, Jane Kaczmarek, who plays Malcolm's mom, is married to Brad Whitford (Josh on "The West Wing") -- both longtime Democrats.