In the midst of an election year full of obnoxious rhetoric and tedious bickering, "The New Normal" made a bold choice to center an entire episode on Barack Obama and Mitt Romney. Predictably, Nana supports Romney while Bryan and David back Obama. The opposing sides deliver familiar sound bites as they argue. The episode's saving grace is Bryan and David's admission that they talk the talk but don't always walk the walk.
O-M-G-O-P
Nana goes on a rampage after Bryan and David try to influence Goldie to vote for Obama. They think racism influenced Nana's allegiance, but she fires back saying it is racist to vote for a candidate simply because he is black. Bryan decides to throw a dinner party and introduce her to his diverse group of friends. Since most of his friends are just like him, he recruits Rocky and a waiter for help.
Republicans vs. Democrats
While trying to prove his tolerance and enlightenment, Bryan plays into stereotypes as though he were a younger version of Nana. He makes a Romney health care joke, and the dinner party turns into a political brawl. Nana says Obama's broken plan is "like giving a Kardashian penicillin -- too little, too late." She extols the virtues of personal responsibility and tells everyone how she stopped Goldie's mother from having an abortion. That seems to contradict Nana's own abortion plan in Episode 1, but she may have had a change of heart.
Goldie's growing pains
Pregnant Goldie has a hankering for fast-food burgers, but David wants her to eat healthy foods. At the dinner party, the pressure builds when they serve her fresh fruit instead of pie. She perks up when she makes a love connection with Rocky's brother, Clint. Nana does not approve, and makes sure everyone knows Goldie is a pregnant, single mother. The news stuns Clint, and Goldie flees to a restaurant. The gang finds her, and the guys apologize for being inconsiderate. She says she thought she finally found independence, but Shania's dad is suing for custody.
School days
Surprisingly, Shania does not try to cast a write-in vote for Charlie Rose in the school's mock election. The Obama-Romney extravaganza continues as she explains why she voted for Obama. Goldie asserts her right to privacy and keeps her preference to herself. As they look at the students' families, Bryan and David decide they should seek diverse friends for the sake of their baby.
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