Jim thinks that others will suffer because of Tracy because he is one of the few characters in the film to fully understand the extent of Tracy's character. Part of Tracy's skill lies in her ability to appear innocent, but Jim understands how easily she manipulates people to get what she wants, and so he is afraid of giving her any more power. On a more personal level, Tracy has already helped get Jim's fellow teacher fired by the beginning of the film, so Jim has immediate experience with the collateral damage caused by Tracy's machinations. Furthermore, Jim struggles with the idea that someone as manipulative and cold-hearted as Tracy can be so successful, and so he hopes to knock her down a peg or two as a means of tempering her personality. Jim seems to have a grudging respect for Tracy, but believes that if elected she would cause undue harm to people.
Tracy thinks she deserves victory because she has worked hard on her campaign, and she believes herself to be one of the "strong," deserving of destiny's rewards. Put simply, she believes she deserves to win because she wants to win, and her self-absorption is so total that she cannot consider anyone else and anything other than an obstacle. This can be seen most clearly in her voiceover, when she tells God, "I really must insist that you help me win the election tomorrow because I deserve it and Paul Metzler doesn't, as you well know. I realize that it was your divine hand that disqualified Tammy Metzler and now I'm asking that you go that one last mile and make sure to put me in office where I...
Furthermore, Tracy continuously makes a distinction between the weak and the strong, identifying herself with the latter and proposing that a propensity for
manipulation and strategy are what separates the two.
Election examines the occasionally combative relationship between students and teachers, and through the character of Jim McAllister, deals with a rivalry between teacher and
student which ultimately ends in Jim's resignation. Jim's initial problem with Tracy is that she escaped punishment while his colleague was fired, and the film seems to suggest that this injustice can never be rectified, because the students always ultimately have more
power than the teachers, as evidenced by Tracy Flick's continued success. In fact, the film can be seen as arguing against the kind of personal
investment Jim commits to the school, because his investment in
school is only the result of his own personal problems and so ends up being corrupted by his own failings and fanaticism.
Payne, Alexander, Dir. Election. Paramount Pictures: 1999, Film.
