After Linus running for school president with help from Lucy and Charlie Brown, and it made for a hysterical story.

In a comic strip from October 5, 1964, Lucy approaches Linus about running for school president. He's initially reluctant due to the role's mountain of responsibilities, until Lucy wins him over in just four words: "Think of the power." Linus' power-hungry expression says it all, and he's quick to accept Lucy's proposition.

Over the next month of publication, Linus embarks on a presidential campaign that's equal parts hilarious and scathingly accurate to real-world politics. This brilliant storyline was later adapted into an animated TV special, thereby playing a key role in cementing Peanuts' pop culture legacy through multimedia expansion.

Linus Campaigns for School President (But Is Lucy Really In Control?)

First Published: October 5 to October 26, 1964

Lucy helps Linus commence his presidential bid, and the story kicks off from there. Throughout October 1964, Linus delivers imioned campaign speeches to students and makes bold promises that he may or may not intend to keep, just as any politician would. Some of his speeches demonstrate his childish innocence, while others accentuate Linus' astounding maturity, which makes him a stand-out among his peers. One of the most critical aspects of his campaign is Lucy, who takes on the role of campaign manager - though her motives could be more self-centered than what they seem.

Although Linus is the candidate in the school election, Lucy appears to be the one pulling the strings. She is, after all, the one who suggested that Linus run for president in the first place; moreover, she continues to push her little brother in ways that come off as forceful on her part. For example, as she instructs him to sign the forms to become a candidate, Lucy doesn't tell Linus that he's the one on his way to the presidency. Instead, she says, "We're on our way!"

Additionally, Lucy continuously instructs Linus on what to do throughout the storyline, and even goes so far as to threaten classmates to convince them to vote for him – hilariously bringing an unexpected pastiche of real-world "strong arm" politics to Peanuts. ittedly, Lucy's intentions are pure, by comparison to most political operators, as she's helping her brother, though Schulz' hints about Lucy pushing for power in her own right via Linus certainly give the story an extra layer of both comedy and critical weight.

Linus' Political Campaign Is Still One of Charles Schulz' Funniest Story Arcs in Peanuts

First Published: October 21, 1964

What makes this story arc so funny, even today, is the way it channels political satire through Peanuts' childlike lens. Schulz resented political commentary in comics, evidenced by his disdain towards Garry Trudeau's Doonesbury, but that doesn't mean his work is entirely devoid of politics. Peanuts' satire isn't aimed towards specific events in politics; instead, Schulz paints his commentary in broader, sillier strokes. For instance, when Violet interviews Linus, she discounts his ambitious ideas to simply claim that he'll "do his best", conveying how the press picks and chooses what to portray about candidates. The best example of Schulz' simple yet witty commentary is the conclusion of Linus' political campaign.

What makes this story arc so funny, even today, is the way it channels political satire through Peanuts' childlike lens.

As Linus prepares for his final speech, Lucy remarks that the only way he can lose is if he says something stupid. He winds up doing exactly that, as he talks to the student body about the Great Pumpkin. This is one of Peanuts' most famous jokes, wherein Linus believes in a Santa-like being who appears every Halloween. The speech costs him the election by turning him into a laughingstock. The way a single statement derails Linus' entire campaign rings true to politics, yet it's depicted in a lighthearted manner. Interestingly, the animated adaptation takes an alternate direction with the ending of Linus' political endeavor.

"You're Not Elected, Charlie Brown": How the Animated Adaptation Differs From the Original Peanuts Comics

Charles Schulz Made Key Changes When Adapting This Story

In the 1972 TV special You're Not Elected, Charlie Brown, the premise begins in a drastically different fashion. Rather than Lucy suggesting that Linus run for school president, it's Charlie Brown who pitches the idea - only after he fails to kickstart his own campaign. Furthermore, instead of Charlie Brown being the vice presidential candidate alongside Linus, he's recruited to be Lucy's assistant to help her fulfill campaign manager duties. This gives Charlie Brown a simultaneously more prominent and lesser role, as the story does begin with him as the protagonist, but he then gets cast aside in favor of Linus.

You're Not Elected, Charlie Brown is currently available to stream on Apple TV+.

The most fascinating change between adaptations is in how Linus' campaign ends. In the original comics, Linus loses after his mistaken mention of the Great Pumpkin. In the animated special, however, he continues his campaign after that embarrassing moment. Surprisingly, Linus manages to win the election in this version of the story; he claims the victory when his opponent votes for him, claiming he thinks Linus would make a better candidate. This ending marks a massive change from the original source material, and serves as proof of Charles Schulz' proficiency at writing for various mediums.

Charles Schulz' Eye For Adaptation Turned Peanuts Into A Multimedia Phenomenon

Peanuts Spans Comics and Animation

During the 1960s and 1970s, Peanuts branched out from comics into the realm of animation with a series of televised specials, starting with the widely beloved A Charlie Brown Christmas in 1965. Through writing these adaptations alongside the comics, Schulz learned how to tailor his writing style to best fit each medium without compromising the heart of the story and characters. The jokes that the comic and animated special versions of Linus' campaign end on offer a glimpse at Schulz' varying thought processes when writing for these contrasting forms of entertainment.

Through writing these adaptations alongside the comics, Schulz learned how to tailor his writing style to best fit each medium without compromising the heart of the story and characters.

As discussed before, the comic iteration of Linus running for school president ends shortly after his speech about the Great Pumpkin sinks his campaign, ending the story on a slightly unsatisfying but laughable note that befits a snappy comic strip. In You're Not Elected, Charlie Brown, following Linus' victory, he realizes that he can't carry out his campaign promises because he doesn't have as much power as he'd expected as school president. This conclusion is better suited to an animated special because it has the feel-good moment of Linus winning to resolve the main plot, followed by a joke that ties into how the story began.

Comic strips should stand alone in some capacity to befit their daily publication, whereas a TV special must have a proper resolution that brings everything together. Schulz understood this, and was able to take the same core story beats and tweak them accordingly to make each interpretation the strongest it could be to appeal to respective audiences. His dual interpretations of Linus' wacky campaign for president highlight his masterful grasp on both mediums, which in turn has solidified the Peanuts series as a timeless classic.