Obama joins Clinton and Lieberman in video game stance

[wyldwolf]

Barack Obama has taken a stance similar to Hillary Clinton and Joe Lieberman on video game violence, a stance some Obama supporters have often criticized, most recently here:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.ph...

Question: To date, nearly 10 states have considered legislation to keep violent video games out of kids’ hands. Would you support this type of legislation at the federal level? What other strategies would you support to keep the video game industry and other media companies from marketing and selling inappropriate content to children?

Obama: …I would call upon the video game industry to give parents better information about programs and video games by improving the voluntary rating system we currently have. Broadcasters and video game producers should take it upon themselves to improve this system to include easier to find and easier to understand descriptions of exactly what kind of content is included. But if the industry fails to act, then my administration would.

And even if the industry does do some responsible self-policing, there’s still a role for the federal government to play. We need to understand the impact of these new media better. That’s why I supported federal funding to study the impact of video games on children’s cognitive development.

http://www.thetanooki.com/2007/12/14/obama-speaks-on-vi... /

Let the spin begin!

[rinsd]

1. ...

[maddiejoan]

2. ooh ooh

Since no Obama supporters have weighed in yet, I'll give it a go!


Unlike Hillarycackle and LIEberman, Obama is doing this because he actually cares about kids.
He has 2 daughters who probably still play these games, unlike Chelsea who is probably already getting ready to run for President in 2032

Gobama!

[wyldwolf]

3. LOL! Very good.

[SaveElmer]

5. Wish I could rec that response!!!

[Joe the Revelator]

7. I'll speak up and say that I don't support this at all...

Be it Obama, Hillary or any other candidate.

[JeffR]

13. Well played!

[BootinUp]

16. ROFL

[AX10]

23. We have a winner! Obama is full of crap...

when he claims that he is "looking forward". His supporters are full of more crap than him.
Obama is playing the game that too many politicians play. He is being extremely dishonest about it though.

I oppose Obama, Hillary, and Lieberman on this one. I am against censorship.
Though I am sure that Lieberman has no problem with violent military video games, because they help to promote the war money machine.

[SaveElmer]

4. Ruh roh Shaggy.....

This oughta be good!!!

[SaveElmer]

6. Gosh where are all the Obamanians rushing in to criticize him for this...

I mean what a waste of time...

What is he the thought police?

[BeyondGeography]

8. Sorry he felt compelled to join in their 90's-style family values pander-fest

but at least he hasn't adopted a wide video game stance.

[Bjorn Against]

9. Glad I'm not supporting any of them...

Any candidate who thinks it is perfectly ok to keep sending our tax dollars to fund the very real violence in Iraq, and then tries to say video game violence is the problem needs to get their priorities straight. I am much more concerned about the very real massacre that is going on in Iraq than I am about the fictional slaughter that is happening in Grand Theft Auto.

[bvar22]

10. So Obama joins Hillary and Lieberman....

in advancing Republican issues.

What else is new?
From a Policy & Issues standpoint, there never has been much difference.





"There are forces within the Democratic Party who want us to sound like kinder, gentler Republicans. I want us to compete for that great mass of voters that want a party that will stand up for working Americans, family farmers, and people who haven't felt the benefits of the economic upturn."---Paul Wellstone

[Bongo Prophet]

12. Now, now Bvar22 - you are not playing the game the popccorn eaters want you to play

As they giggle in glee and anticipation on scoring a point in their little games, you state your thoughts on the issue.
I can tell by your stand on principle that you don't like the GOP lite pandering on this issue, whether by Obama OR Clinton OR anyone else.
Even if I disagreed with you, and thought flag burning and video game ratings were THE MOST important issues facing our country, I could RESPECT your principled position.

I cannot say the same for the popcorn munching game players here, who are only interested in juvenile one-upmanship.
IF they had a SHRED of decency and honesty - or even a bit of subtlety - they would WELCOME Obama coming to their side to help the poor chiildren and their plight in facing the scourge of violent games and other media.

The level of discourse between camps is below even junior high school at this point.
This will make it REALLY hard to rally together for the general election.
I don't think they really care.
"TEE HEE HEE! Those Abominations- oops, I mean Obamanationals, Obamanians, whatever. They sure will be mad now! TEE HEE."


While the REAL world is exploding in REAL violence, they focus on violent GAMES.
I guess I should not expect their SUPPORTERS to act any better.
LOL, they say.
It is a game to them. The FUN part of campaigning.

Pitiful.

[beachmom]

26. Nah. Even the Republicans (voters, that is) really don't care. Dumb issue. n/t

[fujiyama]

11. As one that opposes a Hillary nomination

I am disgusted that Obama has joined in this pandering bullshit.

Spending federal funding on meaningless studies is STUPID.

[BootinUp]

14. Hilarious. But not a surprise. nt

[Kucinich4America]

15. Fuck censorship

Vote Kucinich!

[tammywammy]

17. It disappoints me that he'd join in this fight

When I consider it silly to begin with.

[Clintonista2]

18. The real Obama has been kidnapped and cloned by the nefarious DLC/Hillary Clinton crew!

The clone is doing the bidding of the DLC!

GOBAMA!

[Gloria]

19. My remark that he is really "Hillary-lite" seems to still be valid...

[BootinUp]

20. As I said in the similar Hillary hate thread

this is only controversial in the blogosphere.

[sniffa]

21. that settles it

i'm not going to vote for him either.

[Solon]

22. A look, we hit a trifecta...of idiots!

Can they please waste their time on something important, like protecting Christianity or something?

[NYCGirl]

24. Games are a silly thing to be worrying about now. But at least he didn't write a letter

to the ESRB along with Lieberman and Brownback.

http://blog.wired.com/games/2007/11/clinton-lieberm.htm...

[beachmom]

25. No spin. I think it's stupid and a lame pander. I did some phone banking

for a local congressional candidate in '06, and one of my issues to ask about was "violent video games". Not ONE PERSON gave a hoot about that issue. The people I was calling were R's, D's, and I's in a pretty conservative district. So if they're not interested I doubt anyone else it. I have kids, and I just think it's up to parents to monitor what their kids watch or do.

[Forkboy]

27. They're just not that different.

You'd think both camps would love each other.

[Hippo_Tron]

28. I don't like his grandstanding any more than Hillary's

But it's admittedly low on my list of priorities. It won't keep me from voting for Obama in the primaries and IF Hillary is the nominee it won't keep me from voting for her in the general election.

[K Gardner]

29. Oh for f***s sake ! There is a war criminal in the White House.. we TORTURE people and air the

photos on TV and talk about videotapes of torture. We show pictures of volunteers being waterboarded and call it "the backstroke". Our "elected" and appointed officials lie under oath, are guilty of treason, spy on us, hold people in secret prisons for indefinite periods of time and make up shit so we can attack other countries. Our troops come home in pieces and in coffins and lots of them commit suicide. Perhaps millions of innocent men, women and children are dead in Iraq. Our children can sit down any hour of any day and pick up a newspaper or turn on the TV and see ALL of this.. FREE !! And a video game is going to hurt them? Give me a fucking break.

Obama, Hill, John, for Christ's Sake, stand up for something that MEANS something.

[zulchzulu]

30. Of course, this is more deception from Hillary supporters

http://lieberman.senate.gov/newsroom/release.cfm?id=287...

Obama's name is NOT in that letter.

As for his opinion on video game ratings, I concur with his point that there needs to be studies involving how "the impact of video games on children’s cognitive development" is something to look into. Why not?

Obama's position on that is not the same as the Lieberman release that Hillary tagged along with, citing a specific game and acting like it needed to stopped.

[wyldwolf]

31. So Obama's words mean nothing unless he signed some letter.

[wyldwolf]

32. kick

[dionysus]

33. i think there's a lot more important things for the candidates to worry about

rather than bullshit like this.