The "Austin American-Statesman"'s Steven Stein said this was the first episode of "The Simpsons" he saw. Even though he did not understand half the pop culture references, by the end of the episode he was a ""Simpsons" convert". He thought there was "something exotic about an issue as serious as political corruption being dealt with in a cartoon and being interrupted by jokes about beer and, yes, doughnuts". The episode was praised for its political satire. Bill Gibron of DVD Verdict called the episode a "biting political satire in the guise of a children's oratory contest signifies that this season of the series will be all over the map, both emotionally and logically". Gibron added: "Everything, from the "Reader's Digest" rants to the formulaic speeches of the youths, has a resounding ring of truth. And once the story moves to Washington D.C, our nation's capital is in for a royal reaming as well."