Run Your Own Presidential Campaign For Free

GeekSugar — Wed, 24 Sep 2008 14:45:32 PDT

Think you can run a better campaign than Obama or McCain? Then you PC users can give it a go with a free game download from the Political Machine! In the Political Machine Express, you can play as Obama, McCain, Biden, or Palin in a 21-week race to the White House, stopping off in cities around the country for town hall meetings, speeches, debates, and produce TV ads to crush your competition. It's all free, and sure to be a fun way to get out your political frustrations.

You can get the full version of The Political Machine for just $20 bucks, which allows you to campaign at different times in history, and get access to other candidates like Huckabee, the Clintons, and Ron Paul. So, who will you be playing as?

The Ides of March: Victory, but Not a Landslide

Shannon Vestal — Fri, 07 Oct 2011 11:46:37 PDT

George Clooney takes the director's chair for political drama The Ides of March, which he also stars in as Pennsylvania governor and presidential hopeful Mike Morris. The real star of the film is Ryan Gosling, though, as a crackerjack strategist working on Morris's campaign during the Democratic primary. With that kind of star power behind and in front of the camera, I was expecting an immaculately crafted thriller, but The Ides of March doesn't live up to its potential.

The premise is as promising as Morris's Obama-esque campaign posters: Stephen (Gosling) is a key part of Morris's bid for a presidential nomination, not just for his savvy but for his optimism and belief in the candidate. When Stephen discovers a sticky situation the governor is involved in, he has to decide his next move. At the same time, he's being courted by a rival campaign, which also challenges his loyalty to Morris.

As Stephen transforms from an idealistic employee into a jaded cog in the machine, his trajectory is engaging, but could be more riveting. Though the plot keeps you intrigued long enough to find out what happens to the characters, there's not enough background or development to make you care about any of them. To find out what else I thought about The Ides of March, just keep reading.