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"Mr. Green Runs" is an episode in the Hey Arnold! TV series.

Synopsis[]

Arnold helps Mr. Green run for the City Council.

Plot[]

While Arnold is picking up his Grandma's order of veal chops at Green's Meats, Grandpa's Packard falls into a huge pothole. Mr. Green complains that he has been trying to reach City Councilman Gladhand, but his assistant Lorraine keeps telling him he is busy at lunch. Tired of getting brushed off, he and Arnold visit the councilman's office: it's revealed that Gladhand seemingly spends all his time entertaining wealthy hot shots who could fund him. He barely pays attention to Mr. Green and Arnold, taking the time to snap a picture with both of them for publicity purposes, but he promises to fix the pothole. However, the next day, a public works truck appears, and two men throw a flimsy wooden board over the pothole, which makes Mr. Green even angrier. Suddenly Grandpa's car appears and falls through the wood and another car flies over Grandpa's car and crashes into a utility pole, knocking out the electricity in the area. Outraged at the poor job that Gladhand has done, Mr. Green delivers an angry speech, and is cheered on by the people on the street to run for office, with Arnold as his campaign manager.

Gladhand is ahead in the polls and appears on television using a complex speech: Mr. Green feels intimidated by this and thought he should do the same. He does so at the debate, but as he can't even understand his own words, the plan quickly backfires, and the people grow angry. Mr. Green quickly excuses himself and tells Arnold backstage that he can't fool anyone and doesn't know how to take care of the city. Arnold explains that nobody wants to be fooled, they just want him to be himself. Arnold points out to Mr. Green that being a politician (such as a councilman) is kind of like running a business and advises him to imagine the neighborhood as if it were a big butcher shop. This inspires Mr. Green, and when he goes back out onstage for the debate, he talks about how he pays attention to preparing meat: his simple, frank approach quickly wins the people over. When Gladhand is asked about the Pothole problems, he starts tripping over his big fancy words before returning with a complicated answer, resulting in the people getting mad at him. When asked the same question, Mr. Green delivers an impassioned speech of how he would deal with the problems the same way he does his job, to the crowd's approval. A frustrated Gladhand screeches that his opponent is just a butcher talking about meat, but the crowd ignores him.

Mr. Green continues to use the frank approach to great success. A desperate Gladhand approaches Arnold on his way home, asking for his help. He tells him that he wants Mr. Green to quit the race; if he does, Gladhand will fix the pothole in front of Green's Meats and throw a big party for him and his friends. A disgusted Arnold asks about the other potholes and the rest of the neighborhood, Gladhand says he'll have a committee look into it post facto. Arnold refuses, tells the councilman that Mr. Green won’t quit and wants a fair election. Arnold wishes him luck, leaving Gladhand to shout after him begging Arnold for his support.

Later that night, Mr. Green's supporters (including Gladhand's former assistant Lorraine) are gathered in the butcher shop awaiting the results. The results come through, declaring Mr. Green the winner, and he thanks Arnold for helping him and for being a good friend. As the people celebrate, a crying Gladhand can be seen outside attempting to call out Lorraine: she draws the curtains on him and the former councilman sulks in tears and begins to leave before falling into a pothole; the same one he didn't fill outside Green's Meats.

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