You, Too, Can Be James Carville
Jul. 24th, 2004 09:26 pmNEWSWEEK, July 26 issue:
If you don't like the way the election goes this fall, don't worry. A PC game out next month lets you play campaign manager — either for Kerry or Bush, a candidate you create from scratch or, after displaying some proficiency, historical figures like Teddy Roosevelt. The Political Machine takes you through day-to-day campaign operations: there are endorsements to be had from organizations like the National Association for Women, speeches to make, ads to buy in contested states, a travel budget to stick to and a running mate to choose. You also decide where your candidate stands on hot-button topics like homeland security, gay marriage and outsourcing, and evergreens like tax cuts. Should your candidate appear on "The O'Maley Factor" or "60 Seconds"? And what about hiring a writer to pen a book that trashes the opposition? Brad Wardell, the game's designer, says the hotly contested 2000 election provided the "perfect backdrop" for a game giving voters insight into the political process. And this one the Supreme Court can't touch.
If you don't like the way the election goes this fall, don't worry. A PC game out next month lets you play campaign manager — either for Kerry or Bush, a candidate you create from scratch or, after displaying some proficiency, historical figures like Teddy Roosevelt. The Political Machine takes you through day-to-day campaign operations: there are endorsements to be had from organizations like the National Association for Women, speeches to make, ads to buy in contested states, a travel budget to stick to and a running mate to choose. You also decide where your candidate stands on hot-button topics like homeland security, gay marriage and outsourcing, and evergreens like tax cuts. Should your candidate appear on "The O'Maley Factor" or "60 Seconds"? And what about hiring a writer to pen a book that trashes the opposition? Brad Wardell, the game's designer, says the hotly contested 2000 election provided the "perfect backdrop" for a game giving voters insight into the political process. And this one the Supreme Court can't touch.