Obama Wins!

"Obama Wins!"
South Parkepisode
Episodeno.	Season 16 Episode 14
Directed by	Trey Parker
Written by	Trey Parker
Production code	1614
Original air date	November 7, 2012(2012-11-07)

"Obama Wins!"is the fourteenth and final episode of thesixteenth seasonof the American animated sitcomSouth Park,and the 237th episode of the series overall. It premiered onComedy Centralin the United States on November 7, 2012. The episode centers upon a secret thatEric Cartmanis harboring that may alter the outcome of the2012 U.S. Presidential election,and also references the erstwhile recent sale ofLucasfilmtoThe Walt Disney Company,and the narration work ofMorgan Freeman,a parodied version of whom appears in the story.

Plot

During the2012 U.S. Presidential election,fourth graderEric Cartmanmasquerades as an unassuming child in order to deceive elderly poll workers, and steal ballots frompolling stationsin variousswing states:Colorado,North Carolina,Florida,Ohio,andNevada.The day after the election, in whichBarack Obamahas been reelected asPresident of the United States,Cartman showsKyle Broflovskithe stolen ballots. An outraged Kyle reports the theft to the police, but by the time the police search his bedroom, Cartman has hidden the ballots at Stevenson'sHummer,a dealership outside of town. It is revealed that Cartman was hired byGeneralPun Lee Tsao, working on behalf of theChinese government,who secured a re-election for Obama as part of a deal with the incumbent president. When one of Obama's aides points out the danger of Tsao going to the press, Obama dismisses this possibility, saying that everyone knows General Tsao's "chicken", a play on the dishGeneral Tso's chickenthat recurs throughout the episode.

Tsao, Cartman and Obama meet at aRed Lobster,where they are confronted by Kyle,Stan Marsh,Kenny McCormickand their friends, who learn, via explanation byMorgan Freeman,that in exchange for Obama's re-election, the Chinese want Obama to give them the rights to theStar Warsfranchise (whichGeorge Lucashad recently sold toThe Walt Disney Company), so that the Chinese can make futureStar Warssequels. Freeman further explains that Cartman will not reveal the location of the ballots until his new demands are met. When Stan asks Freeman why he always shows up to explain something convoluted, Freeman responds that every time he does so, he gets a newfreckle.Cartman demands of the Chinese that he be allowed to playLuke Skywalker's soninthe futureStar Warssequels,but when Tsao angrily refuses, on the grounds that this was not a part of their original deal, Cartman flees the meeting.

As Kyle, Stan, Kenny and the other boys search Cartman's house for the missing ballots,Mickey Mousearrives in South Park inSlave I,having learned of the deal with the Chinese. He kidnaps Cartman, who understands that Mickey only cares about the election results becauseMitt Romneywould have taken a more hardline stance with the Chinese. In exchange for making the ballots public, Mickey agrees to Cartman's demands, which in addition to playing Luke Skywalker's son, now include aTauntaun,aStar Warsblaster pistoland the creation of a character for the films namedJewbacca.By the time the police, Tsao, Kyle, Stan and Cartman converge upon Stevenson's Hummer, Morgan Freeman again appears, explaining that the Chinese want theStar Warsfranchise in order to protect it from Disney, which they fear may not be the right studio for that franchise. Gaining more freckles, Freeman asks what is more important: that the right man is elected President, or thatStar Warsis with the people who will protect it best. The police decide not to report their discovery of the ballots, and Cartman watches in horror as Stan burns the ballots, thus destroying Cartman's chances of being part of theStar Warsfranchise. All those present join hands and chant, while an image of Obama appears in the smoke.

Critical reception

"Obama Wins!" received positive reviews. Marcus Gilmer ofThe A.V. Clubgave the episode a grade of "A",stating that he has long-enjoyed the series' treatment of politics, and opining that" Obama Wins! "was an" inspired...glorious, rollicking episode "that surpassed the quality of"Raising the Bar","A Nightmare on Face Time"and"A Scause for Applause".Max Nicholson ofIGNgave the episode a 9.3/10 "Amazing" rating, saying "South Park's Season 16 finale finished strong thanks to a wealth of Star Wars references and sharp political satire."

See also

• "Trapper Keeper",a South Park episode about the2000 U.S. presidential election
• "Douche and Turd",a South Park episode about the2004 U.S. presidential election
• "About Last Night...",a South Park episode about the2008 U.S. presidential election
• "Oh, Jeez",a South Park episode about the2016 U.S. presidential election

External links

• "Obama Wins!"Full episode at South Park Studios
• "Obama Wins!"atIMDb