Posted by Bob Mackey
In news that would have been Onion-worthy satire a mere 4 years ago, Giga Omni Media reports that Sen. Barack Obama has moved his presidential campaign to the world of virtual death racing in Burnout Paradise. That's right; instead of only seeing billboards for places to buy large, overpriced electronics, driving through the streets of Paradise City may also serve as a reminder that you live in a democracy, and may be asked to get off your ass once every four years.
But, as the article indicates, this move to in-game advertising may be a tad contradictory when compared to comments previously made by the senator:
Of course, detractors could accuse Sen. Obama of sending out mixed messages; earlier this year he was telling audiences that parents need to “turn off the television set, and put the video games away.” Then again, since the Burnout billboard specifically advises gamers to vote early, maybe it’s his subtle way of trying to get them off the couch.
Since I spend most of my life on a college campus, I can tell you that there's a huge push--primarily from Obama supporters--to vote early. This movement seems entirely motivated by the problem of young voter turnout; I've been told horror stories about long lines on November 4th, with the implicit message that I could be too drunk or high to negotiate said lines on election day. Given the flux of my personal life, they may be right; but I actually enjoy participating in democracy first-hand--along with any other activities that involve standing in a booth. No Disneyland-esque wait will stop me from pretending that I matter.
There's been no word yet on whether or not Ralph Nader's campaign will be using a similar strategy, but I'm still trying to get into his WoW guild. He owes me for that 2000 vote.
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About Bob Mackey
For a brief period of time I was Bull from TV's
Night Court, but some of you may know me from the humor column I wrote for Youngstown State University's The Jambar, Kent State University's The Stater, and Youngstown's alternative newspaper, The Walruss. I'm perhaps most well-known for my bi-weekly pieces on Something Awful. I've also blogged for Valley24.com and have written articles for EGM, 1UP, GameSpite and Cracked. For all of my writing over the years, I have made a total of twenty American dollars. It's also said that I draw cartoons, which people have described with words such as "legible." I kidnapped the Lindbergh Baby and am looking to do so again in the future.
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