The Dick Van Dyke show was one of my all-time favorites, and being a political buff myself, this two parter was the best of them all. After making a speech about a proposed shopping center replacing a park at a city council meeting, Rob is asked to run for his district's seat on the city council. I loved particularly that there was no alterior motive to get Rob to run. His constituents just thought he would make a good councilman. Rob doesn't know what to do despite the fact that Laura and all of his friends are behind him. I only have a few complaints about this two parter. First, Arte Johnson's role as Rob's publicity man was unnecessary and not put together well script-wise. Second, reviews I have read about this two parter all say that Rob's opponent Lincoln Goodheart, played by Wally Cox, was by far the better candidate. I don't know how much attention these reviewers were paying if they even watched. He was mechanical when he talked and looked at everybody in New Rochelle as if they were stupid bumpkins compared to him, especially when he would answer every question with figures, as if nobody else in town, including Rob, could lay his hands on that exact same information and recite it in the exact same way. I'm surprised he got any votes. But, the thing that really angers me is that Mr. Van Dyke and the producers did not find a way to put Rob's new job as a councilman into the show. Reviewers say that Rob dropped out of the race because Goodheart was smarter and better qualified. That's wrong. Yes, Rob was thinking about dropping out and came close to doing so, but Laura and his campaign manager convinced him to stay in. In the end, Rob wins the election, defeating Goodheart by seventy-five votes. As I said, this was my favorite Van Dyke episode and the best. If you watch it, I hope you agree.
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